Crimson
by RuinedSilence
Summary: The Dragonborn and his new vampire companion have lived a relatively normal life of adventuring together after preventing an age of eternal darkness, but rumors of Harkon's death have attracted a new clan of vampires to Skyrim, seeking to fill the power vacuum that the Volkihar Clan had left. Will they fulfill the Tyranny of the Sun? Or will they accomplish something much worse?
1. A Night in the Woods

**Before we begin  
Thanks for taking the time to click on this story. Be aware that not everything will be lore-friendly but I'll be trying my best to capture the TES lore into everything that requires it. I'll also be taking some a lot of liberties when it comes to fights and how magic works but nothing too grand. I initially intended this to be a retelling of my heavily-modded Skyrim playthrough and so it will be envisioned as such. (Seranaholic? Yes.)**

**Also, this is my first ever fanfic. Do let me know if I mess up anywhere or if anything feels rushed. Hope you enjoy!**

**Special thanks to the people at Bethesda who own the rights to the game c:**

* * *

Winter was fast approaching. The cool evening wind and the plentiful snow meant normal people stayed inside, keeping warm in a cozy fire and away from the harsher outdoor elements. For the not-so-normal people, bad weather simply meant shady business was easier to conduct.

But for these two, it was just another one of those days.

"Do we really have to sneak in? You know I'm horrible at this." A hushed female voice whispered to her partner as they slowly approached a bandit-occupied fort near the border of Whiterun and The Pale. The soft sound of crunching grass and snow was audible underneath her voice.

"Come on Serana, it wouldn't be fun otherwise." A man replied confidently, his voice slightly quivering as a cold gust of wind touched his face and penetrated his very core. His thick, gray fur cloak wasn't doing him any favors.

"Yeah, you sound like you're having a great time." She replied bluntly.

"We have no idea how many of them are inside and I don't feel like entertaining any surprises.." He tightened the cloth mask he had around his face in a futile attempt to protect himself from the winter winds. Serana gave an exasperated sigh.

"The bounty says there should be around eight to ten bandits holed up in that fort, Janus. We've fought off crypts worth of draugr, two dragons simultaneously over a frozen lake and an entire castle of vampires. You can practically do this in your sleep if you wanted to." Serana said. The two of them have been through a lot; stopping the whole Tyranny of the Sun prophecy was perhaps the most extreme adventure Serana has ever had in centuries, but she knows Janus went through much more than she gives him credit for. Not that she was there to bear any witness to it.

"I just want to be sure." He replied, the tone in his voice growing more serious. "Trust me, okay? I don't want any accidents." He looked at Serana who was lagging behind him, her crimson eyes making contact with his. Serana could sense a story of a past experience from him, but this was neither the place nor the time to bring that up.

"Alright. I trust you." She said. They slowly pressed forward towards the old fort: three tall walls surrounded the fort while two large doors blocked the the perimeter was an interior compound that consisted of an empty stable, the main structure and a mine entrance that lead inside the mountain that the fort was strategically built next to. The base of the main building itself was rectangular in shape but a large, cylindrical tower was standing dead in the center. Torch light was emanating from one of the open windows in the upper floors.

Torches were propped up several points across the fort battlements. Janus counted three bowmen guarding the walls and a swordsman patrolling the woods outside of the walls. He went prone on the snow and motioned for Serana to come closer and do the same, to which she promptly complied.

"Damn, gate's probably barred from the inside." Janus quietly exclaimed.

"An astute observation, Dragonborn" Serana teased sarcastically, earning herself a glare and a grumble from the legendary warrior.

"Not helping."

He heard her mumble an apology. "Anyway, I need to get up that wall."

"Well, I'm a vampire, not a troll. You can't expect me to give you a lift up there with all that crap you're carrying." Serana retorted while gesturing towards Janus.

He wore a set of dark leather armor with a pair of steel-plated gauntlets and his thick hooded cloak over his back. On his midsection were a pair of belts: one to keep his armor fastened and another to hold his potions. Several pouches containing assorted alchemical ingredients rested along his waistline. A bandolier with several small throwing knives was strapped diagonally across his chest while a sleek, double-edged ebony longsword was sitting in its scabbard that was strapped to his left hip; a gift he received from a friend that visited Morrowind. Serana wore the usual adventuring attire she used every time she went out.

Janus's loadout was in stark contrast to his usual heavy blade and plate armor, but he thought he could try getting used to running lighter armor. It wasn't like he was going to war again this time, anyway.

"But I do know who can" Serana said, pointing at the lone and conveniently placed sentry outside the walls.

"Oh, I see...Zombie?"

"Zombie. Let's go to work, shall we?"

Janus brought up his left hand and his silver sapphire ring flared to life, effectively granting him more magicka. Though he was terrible at almost every school of magic there was, he started to cast a Muffle spell on himself and Serana as they went into position.

The pair hugged the eastern wall near the patrolling bandit and away from the archers, using the darkness and light snowfall as cover. Janus sprinted towards the oblivious bandit with his muffled footsteps and in one smooth motion, he jabbed one of his knives through his target's neck and slung him onto his shoulder. He carried the corpse back to Serana for reanimation. Purple energy poured from the vampire and unto the corpse and just like that, the once human being was repurposed into a mindless tool. Blood was still seeping out of the wound on its neck. The zombie moaned quietly, like they always do.

"Give me a minute or two." Janus said as he retreated for a running start. The zombified bandit was propped against the wall, poised to give the warrior a boost to the other side. Janus sprinted towards the thrall, and in a coordinated maneuver, he was thrown upwards towards the edge of the wall. He grabbed on and pulled himself up to the other side where the other bandits were too complacent to watch. Serana crossed her arms, rested her back against the wall and let her partner do the work. She knew he was nimble but she never thought he could pull that off.

Janus sprinted towards the nearest bandit and made short work of him. He silently laid the body down unto the cold stone and plucked the recurve bow from its dead hands. He grabbed a pair of arrows from the quiver on the floor and took aim and two perfectly placed shots later, the outer perimeter of the fort was clear. He ran towards the barred gate and opened it. Serana and her zombie waltzed inside.

"You good?" Janus asked.

"Yeah. Nice work, but that felt way too convenient. We should go inside. Anywhere is better than out here in this weather." Serana marched on ahead and went inside the fort as her zombie disintegrated into dust, leaving Janus alone with the wind.

"Huh" He had a bad feeling about this. Gaining entry to the compound was a lot easier than he expected.

Serana brushed the snow off her shoulders and stood near a torch sconce inside the main building's antechamber, placing her hands near the fire. She was never bothered much by the cold but she would much rather be warm. The door behind her opened and Janus entered. He pulled back his hood and took off his mask. Serana examined his features: he had short, light brown hair that resembled a military cut that was left to grow a few inches, and a light stubble was starting to form around his pointed yet pronounced jawline. He was in his mid 20's, similar to Serana from before she was turned but the light scarring across his face and the weariness in his restless eyes gave him a more matured look. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders but despite it's toll, he still looked rather dashing.

His time as Dragonborn hasn't been kind to him despite him being everything but mean to people around him. He was a man of compassion but when the situation required, his enemies would know unrelenting fury. Janus was nice enough to offer Serana a room to stay in at his many properties across the province after the Dawnguard respectfully turned down her request for lodging at the headquarters. She was disappointed at Isran, of course, but rules were rules: No vampires. She packed the last of her belongings from Castle Volkihar and left with Janus. Despite being given the freedom to stay in whichever hold that Janus had a house in, Serana often stayed in Whiterun with Lydia whenever Janus had important business to attend to by himself. Otherwise, she went wherever he did.

Admittedly, she doesn't know much about his past despite preventing an ancient, evil prophecy together over the span of a month and actually living with him for the next few weeks afterwards. There wasn't much time to get to know each other back then, especially since hostile vampires and other surprises would often spring up in the most unexpected of times but now that the world wasn't in any immediate or apparent danger, her curiosity began to reach it's peak.

They were close enough friends to tease and bicker with each other but they never got personal; she would gladly entrust her life in his hands and she knows he would do the same, but what he said to her father as they confronted him in the Volkihar Chapel has been on the back of her head ever since.

_'She's too important to me!'_ She recalled Janus yell at Harkon before they fought to the death. A light blush crept across her pale cheeks before Janus called out to her, waking her up from her daydream.

"Something the matter, Serana?" She snapped back into consciousness after hearing Janus who was already positioned by the entrance to the next room.

"No I'm...I'm fine..." She shook herself awake as he slowly moved towards her.

"I know this job is a bit too plain for us but these guys have been terrorizing these ro-"

"What? No, it's not that." Serana cut him off. She could feel her undead heart beat ever so slightly faster as he got closer.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. Not now, at least."

"Are you sure?" Janus asked. "I am sure, Janus. Let's just get this over with and head back home."

There was a hint of frustration in her voice which confused Janus, but she flashed a tiny smile his way. Serana wasn't usually this finicky or irritable unless it involved giant spiders or sunlight being shone directly into her face. Her quiet frustration was almost palpable, and it bothered him.

"Alright, let's talk later then." He pulled the door towards him and stepped into the next room. It was a large, circular, chandelier-lit hall with a small campfire in the center and a roasting spit placed near a fireplace in one side; a short corridor leading to a staircase was on the other side of the hall, and small cages were neatly lined around its edges, with some men, women and a few children laying inside each. It took a while, but Janus's eyes widened. One of the cages was empty save for a pile of bloody bones, and he noticed a big, odd smelling barrel next to it.

"What in Oblivion is this" He whispered as Serana caught a glimpse of the scene and was unable to mask her surprise.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this, that's for sure." Her lips remained parted in surprise, her fangs peeking from the corners of her mouth. The scene reminded her of home, and not in a good way. Janus went straight to one of the cages and immediately began checking at the bodies.

Serana heard a rumbling noise from behind the door. She checked on it, only to find out it's been barred from the other side.

"Shit. Our exit is blocked."

"I knew something was wrong about this place." Janus fumbled around with his lockpicks, trying hard not to break any more of them as he tried to open one of the cages. He reached for his longsword as he heard footsteps approach them from the other side of the room.

"Would you look at that boys" One of the five men barked. He wore nothing but a studded kilt and a large belt across his abdomen. The rest were clad in similar get ups but with varied belts and harnesses. "More dinner!" His crew chuckled while they slowly fanned out.

"Really? Cannibals?" Janus stood up, put up his hood over his head and flourished his blade. "I hope you like the taste of salt, 'cause I'm pretty sweaty right now." He assumed a combat stance while Serana walked to his side, spells on both hands at the ready.

"How's about you give us the girl? We'll make sure she has a good time before she dies screaming" Serana winced in disgust as her eyes flared up. "I'd love to see you try, maggot" Serana retorted. More obnoxious chuckling came from the men. Janus assessed the situation and began plotting how to take them out as easily as possible.

The bandits were lightly armored and completely unarmed, which alarmed him even more. 'It's either all of them were magic users or they're really confident with their fists' he thought, right before they simultaneously started transforming.

Their bodies started to twist, contort and expand as jet-black fur started growing and long claws began to protrude from their hands. The sound of clanging metal hitting the floor echoed through the hall as their armor fell from their bodies.

'Or they could all be werewolves. Of course.' He sighed.

"Nothing is ever simple with you around, is it?" Serana commented nonchalantly. At this point, she was already used to surprises.

"Let's do this" Janus breathed out. Shortly, a spike of ice tore through the air and lodged itself into one of the werewolves that were mid-transformation. The spike buried itself in its target's shoulder but had little effect. The pack snarled and growled at the pair before letting out a deafening and disorienting howl.

"WULD!" Janus flung himself forwards and plunged his longsword straight into the pack leader's stomach. He placed a palm on his sword's cross guard and rotated it clockwise, causing the wolf to vomit blood on top of him.

"Ugh, gros-" His comment was cut when he saw two other wolves leap at him. Janus let go of his sword, leaving it stuck in the beast's belly and rolled out of the way, causing the two to hit the dying pack leader. He regained his posture and took two knives from his bandolier and wielded one in each hand, preparing himself for the inevitable onslaught.

'This isn't going according to plan' He thought.

Serana kept shooting more ice spikes towards the other two werewolves that went for her, aiming for their legs. She incapacitated one wolf with a clean shot to the knee, pulverizing the bone and severing its leg; the werewolf passed out from the pain but the other got a little too close for comfort. It charged at Serana and hit her with a strong backhand that sent her flying, hitting a wall. She yelped out in pain caused by the impact as she bounced unto the floor.

"Serana!" Janus shouted while dancing between claw swipes.

Serana grunted and scrambled to get herself up and saw the werewolf was getting ready to pounce on her. It leapt through the air but landed on empty concrete as Serana slid underneath the beast. She climbed on to its back and grasped its head with both hands. She channeled the bite of winter through her palms and started to freeze the panicking werewolf's head until it fell silent. It's snout shattered as it crashed to the ground, leaving half a face behind. Serana dropped on to the stone floor, trying to get her bearings straight.

Janus watched the scene unfold, smirking at the uncharacteristically agile feat the vampire had just managed to perform but that one second he spent looking away gave his opponents enough of an opening. One werewolf managed to hit him in the chest with it's claws, ripping his leather armor apart and scratching his skin, causing mild bleeding from three separate gashes. He mentally noted that light armor isn't as sturdy as the heavy armor he was used to wearing.

The other tackled him into the ground and tried to bite off his neck but he blocked the beast's mouth with his steel gauntlet. He struggled with the werewolf biting down on him as he tried to not lose his cool. Meanwhile, Serana had finished recovering from her tussle with one of the wolves and started flinging ice spikes towards the others. As the wolves were distracted, Janus jammed one of his knives into the werewolf's eye and wrestled himself away, rolling away from the two of them.

"IIZ SLEN" His Thu'um thundered outwards, freezing both adversaries into solid ice. Janus shakily headed towards his longsword that was still embedded in the pack leader as he channeled a basic healing spell with his left hand to close his wounds. He kicked the corpse off his sword, held it by the sharp end and attempted to shatter the frozen werewolves by hitting them with the thick cross guard.

He hit the head of one of the frozen wolves, smashing it to bits and leaving a bloody stump behind as the body keeled over. He approached the other wolf, however, it managed to break through the ice covering its body, much to the Dragonborn's surprise. The wolf took a moment to compose itself and tried to maul Janus but as it swiped its claws, the Dragonborn retaliated by forcefully smacking the werewolf's hand away with his armored gauntlet, causing the beast to roar and reel down unto the floor in pain. An audible crack was heard as the bones of the werewolf's hand were pulverized by the counter-attack.

Serana was awestruck at her friend's reflexes and just stood at her spot as Janus approached the werewolf. He held his longsword by the grip and the base of its blade and thrusted it through the werewolf's skull, silencing it. Tired and wounded, Janus fell to his knee.

"Hey!" Serana jogged towards her injured partner who was healing himself. She noticed the magic enveloping him was starting to flicker and wane, a tell tale sign that his magicka reserves were almost depleted.

She inspected his bloody chest through his damaged armor. The wounds have closed due to the spell Janus used but she knew the scars would stay there for a while. Her fingers trembled as she allowed her fingertips to be soaked in his blood that caked his ribs. Her primal instincts were kicking in again.

"You're not bleeding anymore, which is great." She let out a relieved sigh; no bleeding meant no urge to drink. Still, that didn't stop her from licking his blood off her fingers.

This wasn't the first time she tasted his blood. There was something particularly delicious about his blood compared to others that Serana just couldn't get enough of. It was enough to drive a normal vampire nuts but luckily, she's no normal vampire. She was lucky she managed to control herself when he let her drink his blood the first time.

"Are you seriously...tasting me right now?" Janus exclaimed in mild surprise but Serana didn't stop until her fingers were clean. She flashed him a smile, making sure to bear her fangs at him as a reminder of her true nature. Janus looked into her eyes and saw no ounce of shame or regret. She gave him a pat on the shoulder and helped him up.

"You'll be fine tough guy, but you'll be a bit anemic for a while. Looks like you lost a lot of blood."

Janus was confused. He could've sworn Serana was mad about something earlier but now, after a very close call, was suddenly acting all chipper. Serana was usually easy to read but this time, the way she's acting has gotten him puzzled.

"How about you? You break anything? Got hit anywhere? Your head maybe?"

"No, I think I'm good. Thanks, though." She smiled as she brushed off the dirt and carnage of her dress. "You can forget about the bodies in the cages. They're all dead." She pointed out.

Janus approached some of the cages. They all looked like travelers and caravaneers; assorted peasants and whole families that undoubtedly got ambushed on the road. Their bodies were relatively intact save for clean cuts across their necks. Clearly, they were supposed to be used as food for the pack. He didn't want to know what was inside the weird smelling barrel next to the bone pile.

Janus felt a bellowing pain deep inside his heart.

"I know what you're thinking, and you know full well that we can't save everyone." Serana snapped him back into reality. "But we can keep trying, okay?" She looked him in the eyes and nodded at him, and he nodded back.

"Not something you'd usually hear from a creature of the night." Serana shrugged it off, but deep inside she agreed.

"Come on, we should report back to Proventus." He sliced off the pack leader's hand and placed it in a big, burlap bag that he attached to his belt. Normally, an ear or a finger would be enough proof that a bandit-clearing job was finished, but he opted to just get the entire hand since this wasn't exactly a normal operation. They headed upstairs and inspected the other rooms in the tower. Deeming the fort clear, they approached the roof exit of the tower where a long ladder headed down towards the battlements was propped up, most likely used by whoever barred their original exit from the other side.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something. Something important." Serana blurted out after stepping off of the long wooden ladder.

"I'm sure you'll remember it eventually." He unfurled his map and tried to regain their bearings. They would reach Whiterun in four or so hours if they traveled on foot but judging by how low the moon was hanging, he could tell that the sun was almost up.

"We should hurry up, it's almost dawn." He noted.

"That's my line. Since when were you so scared of the sun?"

"Ever since I started travelling with a vampire."

"Oh? Is that why we've always been travelling at night every time we take one of these small jobs? You know I can tolerate sunlight right?." Serana raised her eyebrow, a smirk crossed her lips.

"I prefer the night. Besides, I'm a bit of night owl. I'd rather sleep in while the sun is out." Janus fumbled with his words for a bit.

"Oh. Sure you are." Serana's face sunk as they made their way back to the main road to Whiterun. "Hey, about what you said back then..."

"Back when what?" Janus looked back at her from his left shoulder, his voice shaking as the cold wind slammed into his chest through the gashes in his armor.

"Back when we faced my father. You said I was important to you. What did you mean by that?" She looked him dead in the eyes and Janus knew she was serious.

"One heck of a topic to bring up...let's see.." Janus paused for a few seconds, putting his left hand to his chin and his right hand over his chest. "You're smart, which makes you pretty helpful in the kinds of scenarios I tend to get caught up in. Your aptitude for magic complements my complete incompetence with it, and you can cook one hell of a beef stew." He replied slyly. "The fact that you're a vampire is also pretty neat."

"I'm serious. It's been bugging me a lot lately"

Janus was dumbfounded. 'Is that really why she's acting all weird lately? Why is she bringing this up now?'

He stopped walking and faced her. "You're my friend, Serana. My closest one, at that." He turned his body forward and pulled his mask up, but he never broke eye contact. "We've been through a lot. I promised that I'd be there for you 'til the end." He paused. "I'd have done the same for everyone else."

Janus could feel his heart banging across his chest and the fresh wounds he got weren't making things feel any better. This is the first time Serana ever asked about his little proclamation at Castle Volkihar. He cringed slightly upon remembering his piss poor attempt at sounding cool in front of the woman he was pretty sure he was in love with.

He cringed even harder at what he just said to her just now. He felt like all of his experience persuading guards and dealing with merchants just went out of the window and into a deep chasm. Like a little boy trying to speak to the pretty girl from across the town.

Janus had tried to confess to Serana many times in the past, but there was something about her that he found so disarming. He tried to do it before they stormed the castle, and he tried to do it as Serana was holding him tight while crying her eyes out after he woke up from his latest near-death experience courtesy of Harkon. He just couldn't do it.

It wasn't like she showed much interest in a romantic relationship either. When they passed through the Temple of Mara at Riften, she said temples gave her chills and marriage would never be an option for her. Not that he ever asked her to marry him, but he had a feeling she wanted to make things clear given that her declaration came from out of the blue.

The Savior of Men. The Slayer of Gods. The Hunter of Beasts. He has faced challenges many men would have ran away from. He had stared unfazed at the jaws of Oblivion itself and yet, he was afraid of exposing his feelings.

'So much for the mighty dragonborn' He sighed, shaking away the thought.

"Why'd you ask?" He faced forwards after asking and marched onwards with Serana following suite.

"I'm not sure myself, but thanks. That cleared my mind up a bit" She knew full well why she asked and no, it did not clear her mind.

'So I'm just like everyone else' She thought to herself. Indeed, there was some clarity from hearing Janus say the words out loud but Serana was expecting more. She _wanted_ more. Admittedly, she was too tired to press the matter any further but the whirlpool of emotions she was feeling was making her temples ache. She's been feeling extremely moody lately and she hasn't been enjoying it.

Pain. Relief. Exhaustion. Disappointment...Heartache?

Serana knows she would have to work out her feelings if she wanted her headache to go away, including all of the quirks and nuances of her not-so-unique predicament. She felt like a teenage girl who had just met the love of her life and yet the rational side of her is sending waves of red flags into her psyche.

Internally, she admits that she has feelings for the dragonborn, although she never realized it until after the Harkon ordeal. After spending so much time together and dealing with so many hardships, it would be difficult not to develop any feelings for him. For the first time in centuries as a vampire, she finally found an actual friend. She never felt lonely when he was around, and she was happy to find someone who genuinely cared for her and not just because she was a lord's daughter. She has been with other men before she was turned, and even after the whole vampire thing she still got suitors from the other vampire clans from across Tamriel, but none of them felt honest. They were only after her body or her status; she never felt compromised with Janus even though she wasn't really sure if he saw her in the way she wanted.

They were close friends but he never really felt like he was making a move on her. She knows exactly how kind of a person Janus was but deep inside she had hoped that all that he did for her, all that he gave her, was because of more than just kindness.

_'Maybe it's because of that thing I said at Riften before?'_ She dismissed the thought. _'He can't be that dense.'_

Serana pulled up her hood to cover her head from the falling snow and exhaled, her breath forming a small cloud as it escaped her mouth.

For most of her life, she had no one but herself for company, but when he came around, things changed. Ever since then, she was at her happiest.

She knows things between them would never work out, but she also knows things with the Dragonborn can be pretty unpredictable. She rarely felt bad about being a vampire but this was one of those moments. No matter how hard she tries, she finds herself clinging on to a hope of reciprocity. She knows he would never think of her as more than just a friend...could he?.

Serana placed her palms on her face and screamed internally, for she did not know what to do. She had been deprived of any form of love for so long that she'd already forgotten how it felt or how to deal with it. She isn't afraid of a very large percentage of what Skyrim has to throw at her, so why was she so scared of just telling him how she felt in the first place?

She gave in to her frustration. She scooped some snow into her hands, shaped it into a ball and chucked it at the back of Janus's hooded head.

"Hey, what the fu-" He turned his head towards Serana and got cut off by another snowball hitting his face. He wiped the flakes away from his eyes and saw the vampire sprinting towards the road to Whiterun.

"Last one home is cooking dinner!" She shouted, leaving the warrior in a state of disbelief before sprinting himself, shouting expletives towards her.

Serana giggled to herself. She knew there were no happy endings for immortals like her, but she was sure as hell going to make the most out of her eternity.

Janus wiped off the snow and bewilderment off his face and laughed. "Are you sure you wanna do this?!" He screamed at Serana as he bolted towards her.

"_No dragon shouts!" _Serana shouted back from a distance.

He enjoyed the almost childish banter they frequently had. After all these years, he was finally having the childhood he never got to experience.

Lydia's eyes slowly fluttered open as the first rays of sunshine hit her face, but she bolted upwards upon hearing the front door bang open downstairs. She grabbed her sword and rushed downstairs, ready to face any intruder that was unlucky enough to barge into the wrong house.

Instead of the big, burly intruder she had pictured in her mind, she saw Serana, both of her hands were perched on one of the chairs facing the fireplace and panting very heavily in between quiet bouts of laughter.

"Serana? What's going on? Lydia asked sourly. It was too early for shenanigans.

Almost as if on queue, Janus slowly pushed the door open and dragged himself inside, laughing and panting like Serana, but worryingly so. His breathing was a lot deeper and more pronounced.

"Looks like I win" Serana exclaimed in between her deep breaths, a victorious smile on her lips. Lydia stared at them in confusion. Both of them looked at Janus who was kneeling on the floor.

"Hey, you okay?" Serana asked, still trying to catch her breath. Shortly after, Janus collapsed on the floor, the sound of metal, glass and dragonborn hitting the cold stone surprising the two ladies. His weapons hit the ground with a resounding clang and a few potion bottles shattered upon his impact. Lydia stowed her sword and rushed to check on her thane while Serana just looked at him, concern and confusion creeping up on her face.

"Janus?"

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A/N: Wanted this chapter to be more of a backgrounder of Janus and Serana's relationship with each other. Expect more interactions in the following chapters!

Character Profile + Stat Sheet:

Janus Brightheart

Nord/Imperial

Harbinger of the Companions  
Nightingale and former leader of the Thieves' Guild  
Initiate at the College of Winterhold

One-handed: 77  
Archery: 61  
Light Armor: 45  
Sneak: 71  
Heavy Armor: 89  
Two Handed: 100  
Block: 70  
Smithing: 80  
Restoration: 22  
Illusion: 20  
Every other school of magic: 5  
the rest: meager, at best

Disposition: Teetering back and forth between Lawful Good and Chaotic Neutral


	2. Fire, Lightning and a Bowl of Stew

**Hey! Sorry for the late update. I was on vacation last weekend so I couldn't really work on the story and the proofreading process took longer than I imagined. My brain was operating at 10% capacity for the majority of the time I was writing this chapter and the amount of typos and grammatical errors in my first draft put my college degree in Communications to shame.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

It's currently mid-morning, a few hours after Janus collapsed on the floor. She and Lydia laid him on his bed in the master bedroom on the house's second floor before receiving a stern talking-to from the shieldmaiden.

"Wait so, the two of you were attacked by bandits who turned out to be werewolves?" Lydia asked Serana, recapping the events of the night before as they stood outside the master bedroom.

"Mhmm"

"Then you raced each other and ran from the fort-"

"Yup"

"-all the way to Whiterun?" Lydia's voice was growing with concern

"Mhmmmm" Serana was just looking at her with a sheepish yet innocent smile on her face.

"In the dead of night? On the break of Frost Fall? While he was tired, wounded and possibly infected by werewolf blood that was all over his cloak?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the moment."

'Serana!' Lydia was out of patience. A very light shade of red was creeping up on her face, complementing the look of frustration and disbelief that was already painted on it. She knows that both her thane and Serana would sometimes act like bickering school children but she just couldn't accept that both of them seem to have forgotten about the basics of life, like fatigue and diseases.

"Oh relax, he's been through worse. I soul trapped half his soul once before and he came out of that relatively fine, didn't he…?" The smug smile on Serana's face slowly faded as she remembered that Janus explicitly told her not to tell his housecarls about the soul trap incident.

Especially Lydia.

"You WHAT?!" Lydia's eyes flared up, sending the fearsome creature of the night into a weak, defensive stance.

'...I shouldn't have said that' Serana whispered. Lydia was on the verge of losing her shit but sound of Janus shuffling under his sheets were enough to keep her wits together. She took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"We'll talk about that **later**. I'm going to the market to look for some medicine." She said while squeezing the bridge of her nose before heading downstairs and out of the house.

Serana just looked at the scary shieldmaiden as she angrily marched out of the house, and made a mental note to never piss Lydia off if she ever wanted to keep her head attached to her spine and not on a pike.

She breathed out a sigh of relief and looked at Janus from the doorway. She partly blamed herself for what happened but she never expected him to overexert himself. Janus had always been competitive and never backed out of a challenge that it almost seemed like he was doing it on impulse. She at least expected him to call out to her when he felt tired during their three hour marathon, but nothing of the sort happened. She made her way to her room downstairs and slipped into something more comfortable.

Janus had the entire home remodeled as a reward from the Jarl for helping defend Whiterun against the Stormcloak siege. The front door leads into a cozy fireplace with several shelves and drawers lining up against the walls. To the right was a brand new armory where Janus kept all of his custom made weapons and the artifacts that he had collected during his travels. Underneath the stairs was a small door on the floor that lead to an underground bathing area with a small swimming pool that spanned the length of the house. On the first floor was a completely renovated kitchen area with a shelved cabinet for storing ingredients, a dining table and a cooking pit that lead straight up to a second chimney. Across the kitchen was a guest room that has since been converted into Serana's own personal quarters.

The room was small but wasn't exactly cramped. There were no windows and an old banner of the Volkihar clan was hanging near one of the corners of the room, covering up sunlight that often peeked into her room during the later hours of the day. Several small animal horns acting as candle holders were fitted into the wooden beams supporting the stone walls of the room, which Serana lit up with a snap of her fingers as she entered.

She sat on top of the maroon colored sheets of her soft bed and took off her boots and slid them under the bed. She lit the candle sitting on top of the small nightstand beside her bed as she began to undress while heading for her closet beside the door. She picked a simple silk nightgown from the stack of clothes and wore it after shedding the last of her armor and travel clothes. The gown had fitted sleeves that stopped at her wrists and a loose skirt that fell down to her ankles in soft waves . It hugged the slope of her belly and the curves of her hips before loosely flowing down to her legs. A pair of strings hung down from her gown's rounded neckline from where it abruptly cuts into a deep V that plunged down to her cleavage, showing a fair amount of skin.

Serana tied the two strings by her collar , narrowing down the gap on her chest.

She grabbed her dirty clothes and armor and threw it inside a large fruit basket by her closet before killing the small flames in the room. She slipped on some comfortable silk slippers that were sitting behind her door and went back into the living room. She ignited some wood in the fireplace and relaxed in one of the chairs, letting the fire warm up her cold body.

Serana played with her hair as she lost herself in thought.

'He could've just told me that he wasn't feeling good earlier or just stopped running in the first place' Janus wasn't that dumb and she knew that. He was either enjoying himself too much to notice his own health or this was all just some elaborate plan to have her take care of him while he was sick.

Serana laughed at the thought, the glow of the flame and the embers burning underneath the wood reflecting off her crimson eyes. She just wanted to have some fun with the guy so she could get her mind off her emotions. That "race" wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she thought that she wanted him to chase after her, but it was all she could afford. A slight blush crept to her cheeks as she realized how dumb and embarrassing the previous idea was.

She shook herself awake as Lydia entered through the front door.

"Belethor is out of medical supplies and Arcadia's out of town. Looks like I'm gonna have to go Riverwood and look there." Lydia said while marching towards the stairs and up to her room.

A few minutes later, Lydia reappeared equipped with her signature steel armor and weapon, and a thick fur coat made of bear hide.

"Please look after my thane while I look for supplies" She commanded as she reached for the door.

"Hey loo-" Serana was about to apologize but Lydia only looked at the vampire and raised her index finger up to her lips.

"Right." Serana mumbled in defeat. Lydia had that "you are in so much trouble" look in her eyes and frankly, that was enough to shut Serana up. With another exasperated sigh, Serana stood up and prepared some ingredients in the kitchen. Her beef stew should lighten everyone's spirits.

* * *

_'Of course Whiterun is out of medicine. Of course it is' _Serana mumbled internally as she gently rested her left cheek on the palm of her hand while watching over Janus. He was lying on his bed, facing up towards the ceiling with a thick blanket covering his feet up to the lower part of his chest. His breathing was heavy but he was fast asleep.

Breezehome's master bedroom was relatively spacious if not for all of the random furniture adorning the room. Across the door was a fairly large paned glass window with tan linen curtains. The lower part of the window pane had a small plate attached that had a magical rune etched into it that muffled any incoming and outgoing noise. Janus had placed that rune by the window and a similar but larger rune was etched into the walls of the bedroom so the noise from the smithy next door wouldn't disturb him when he was sleeping.

Standing in the corner of the room was a wooden mannequin wearing a set of weathered, iron armor of nordic design. The left horn of the helmet was broken off and the texture of the metal across all pieces of the armor were heavily worn out, almost like it was sanded thoroughly. Beside it was a large cabinet where Janus stored some extra clothes and a chest where he kept a whole assortment of random items. The bed itself was touching the wall to the right of the doorway, next to a small night stand and an arcane enchanter.

Serana was sitting on a chair in front of Janus's wooden desk which was right next to the bed. The desk was as normal as it could get: a wide space for reading and writing on the top with borders protruding off three of the edges, walling in the reading space. On each side of the lower part of the desk were drawers that also served as the desk's legs while the empty space between them was large enough to allow for some wiggle room for whoever was using the desk.

Above the desk was a small bookshelf with twelve books snuggly sitting next to each other. Serana's eyes browsed through the assortment of books; most of them were manuals on smithing and martial techniques for fighting with different kinds of weapons and armor, but she also saw a couple of books about enchanting equipment and the principles of casting destruction and alteration magic.

Serana smiled at the books about magic. She knew full well that Janus barely had any magicka coursing through him, which was why he opted to use enchanted equipment that filled any holes that his ineptitude for magic created. He simply wasn't made to be a spellcaster, but he did his best to learn and improve on his enchantment skills.

She opened the right drawer of the desk and found a smaller-sized book that was isolated from the rest. The book was bound in a dark brown, blank leather cover. It had no markings or writings, no titles, nothing. She pulled the book out of the drawer and rested it on the desk before opening it to a random page in the middle.

_**19th of Sun's Dusk, 4E201**_

_**I found this weird looking orb-thing inside an old fort in The Reach and I could've sworn it...talked to me. Or at least someone used it to talk to me. Tried talking back at it but it doesn't seem to be responding. Maybe Brynjolf or Vex knows how much this thing is worth.**_

Serana paused, realizing that what she was reading was Janus's private journal. She glanced over at the warrior who was sleeping on the bed next to her and took a good, long look at the journal on the desk. Of course she was going to read it.

_**20th of Sun's Dusk, 4E201**_

_**Alright, turns out the weird looking orb-thing was an artifact of the Daedric prince(ss?) Meridia and she pretty much forced me to take the damned thing back to her temple near Solitude. Something about a necromancer doing some spooky stuff inside and what not. **_

_**I cleared the place out and Meridia let me keep this cool looking sword from inside the temple. It seems to be extremely effective against the undead and it makes for a convenient light source. I think I'll stow it with the others until the next time I go diving down a crypt or into a vampire lair. Nasty bloodsuckers won't know what hit 'em.**_

Serana recognized the blade being described in the journal entry. After all, it was the same blade that was pointed at her neck the moment Janus woke her up the first time. She had no idea it was a weapon of legend back then but now she's just glad she didn't mess with him in the first place. She flipped the journal back to the first journal entry.

_**24th of Last Seed, 4E201**_

_**I'm not exactly the writing type but Lydia recommended that I keep a journal to record this whole save the world gig that the divines themselves seem to have dropped on me. I still can't believe it, to be honest. It's not everyday that you get saved from the chopping block by an ancient dragon god and find out you're supposed to kill that big ugly bastard, or at least that was what the guardsmen were telling me. **_

_**Anyway, I bought a house in Whiterun shortly after being proclaimed thane of the city. The house is nice though a bit bare-bones but I'm sure I could get it in tip-top shape in no time. I could get used to the respect that the guards and the townsfolk are giving me but I never really expected to be here in the first place. I'm not even sure if I deserve any of this at all. **_

_**I have to admit, I'm feeling the pressure. I don't want to be a hero. I'm just an orphan who got mixed in with the wrong crowd at the wrong time. I'm not sure if I can do this but I don't have much of a choice. **_

'Orphan?' Serana thought. She glanced at Janus's sleeping form and examined has face. Janus often probed Serana about her life before vampirism but he never really opened up much about himself, much to Serana's dismay, but now she was starting to see why; maybe he didn't really have much of a childhood to begin with. She continued reading, jumping a few dozen pages forward. Her eyes twinkled with familiarity of the situation being described.

_**8th of Second Seed, 4E202**_

_**Well, this is it. We killed the snow elf guy, got Auriel's Bow and made it back to Fort Dawnguard in one piece. We only have to prepare the troops then head to Volkihar Castle and finish this mess. **_

_**I'm sure this is going to be hard for her since she'll basically be killing the only family she's ever had. I'd sure as hell lose my mind if I was forced to murder the guys back before the whole dragonborn business started, but then again it's not like I ever had to. **_

_**We're up against Skyrim's apex predators and honestly, I'm not feeling too good about this. Facing Alduin with the Three was one thing, but this time lives are at stake. Harkon and his fanatics are no joke, and the thought of leading this fresh band of hunters into the beating heart of darkness is daunting. I'll be leading them into the meat grinder, and I don't know if I can bear the weight of their deaths on my shoulders.**_

_**And then there's Serana. Gods.**_

_**I can't lose her. Not after almost losing her once already. I'm not even sure if I should be having feelings for her, with her being an immortal vampire and all but It's not like I can do anything about it now. Besides, it's not like she'll ever have any interest in a washed up guy like me. **_

_**I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to do anything about her but I'm happy with what we are right now and I wouldn't really mind staying just friends.**_

_**I'll focus on protecting her and everyone else. Whatever it takes. I'm not letting any of these guys die. Not on my watch. **_

It took a while for the words written on the journal to sink in to Serana's mind but when it did, it sunk hard. She took in a sharp breath as the color of her face turned rosy red. A million thoughts rushed through her head. Why didn't he just tell her so? Why was he pushing her away whenever things got intimate? Did he really think of her that way?

She put the journal back where it belonged and cupped her warm face with both of her hands. The silliness of the entire situation finally caught up to her and she quietly laughed to herself. She felt a wave of relief cascade across her body. Finally, she won't have to deal with any one-sided emotional tension. As far as she knows, Janus is completely oblivious to the fact that she reciprocated his feelings for her.

Serana grinned as she adjusted the fit of her nightgown around her hips and bottom and undid the knot by her collar, exposing a tantalizing portion of her upper chest. All she had to do was wait for Janus to wake up.

Serana knows she has the initiative.

And she was going to have a bit of fun with it.

* * *

Lydia passed one of the farms outside of Whiterun, her sword in its sheath, shield on her back and the hood of her cloak over her head. Signs of the Stormcloak siege of Whiterun was still apparent along the outskirts; burnt grass and small craters caused by magical explosions were scattered across the plains. Destroyed wooden fortifications can still be seen strewn about near the Stormcloak staging area. Though the peace had already been restored across Skyrim, the memories of war were still pretty much palpable. As she walked towards the quiet town of Riverwood south of the city, her mind began to recall the events of that fateful day.

_The drums of war echoed throughout the plains of Whiterun along with the tumultuous roars of rolling thunder, the cold, howling wind and the formidable downpour of rain. Lydia stood beside her thane, a fair distance behind the barricades leading towards the stables. In front of them were two dozen Imperial soldiers standing by in perfect formation, swords and shields at the ready while the rest of the Imperial century waited by the main gates, ready to reinforce if necessary. Legate Rikke was on the battlements on top of the entryway along several Imperial archers and bowmen from the Whiterun Guard. _

_The tightness of the approach to Whiterun's main gate meant there wasn't going to be much room to move around. The Legate requested a company of a hundred men from the Legion; elite footmen equipped with heavy armor, the signature imperial sword and large tower shields. They wore metal gallic helmets with bronze casted masks that covered their faces and bright red plumes sat on top of their heads. They weren't your ordinary legionnaires. These men stood with the confidence of conquerors and wore the face of the Imperium itself. Of course, their armor was heavy and sturdy yet cumbersome but in the situation they're in right now, the only time they'll ever need to worry about speed is when the enemy starts running away._

_Lydia fastened the straps of her new bracers that covered her arms and adjusted her new gauntlets. Janus had crafted a full set of steel plate armor and a new sword for her just for this occasion. She wasn't used to wearing such heavy protection but in the coming battle, she knew she was going to need it. She unsheathed her new sword from its scabbard and, through the visor of her helmet, examined the intricate inscription etched along both sides of the center of the blade: "Protect the Innocent. Cull the Wicked." The letters ran from the hilt of the sword to the tip of the blade. She watched as the words glow a bright orange and amber hue, causing the metal surrounding each letter to grow red hot. She picked up her kite shield and glanced over at Janus._

_He was wearing a full set of reinforced ebony armor, custom built to be flexible yet impenetrable. His helmet had a full-face visor that he could raise so the power of his voice wouldn't be obstructed. Magical symbols ran along the rim of the armor pieces, glowing with a faint blue light that protected him from elemental magic. A few health potions and stamina tonics were strapped to his belt along with a few black soul gems that were sitting in custom made holsters that held them in place. A faint, purple glow was radiating from each of them._

_Janus held his blacksteel claymore by the pommel and rested its tip on the ground. The sword's hilt formed a cross together with the rest of the blade. The crossguard was thick and had ornate designs etched all over it, its ends shaped like the flat heads of warhammers. The blade was long and sleek and had similar inscriptions to Lydia's sword: "I am Power. I am Retribution. The Sky Shall Split Before Me." Bluish purple light emanated from the words and electricity arced along the blade's flat side._

_Lydia simply stood there, staring at her thane's equipment in awe. She felt a strong gust of wind blow across her face. _

_"Incoming volley!" She heard Legate Rikke shout from the battlements as she raised her shield to cover herself. Lydia heard the sound of metal greaves hit the stone floor as the Imperial soldiers simultaneously took one step back and raised their tower shields above them. The men moved like machines, carrying out what was otherwise a simple defensive move in a coordinated, two-step process._

_She snapped out of her trance and hurriedly put her shield above her head as the first barrage of arrows rained on them. The sound of iron broadhead arrows hitting stone and shield filled the air. To her side, Janus hung his head down and remained unmoving. As several arrows found their way to her shield, she heard a stray projectile hit Janus's armor. He remained unfazed, however, as the arrow simply bounced away._

_"Cute" he said. The sky stopped raining arrows. Now, it was just raining. _

_"The rebels are advancing!" Rikke shouted. _

_The Stormcloak forces numbered just shy of 200. They weren't as well organized as the Imperial defenders but made up for it with sheer numbers and overpowering force. Most of their combatants wielded large, two-handed weapons and wore the regular Stormcloak uniform, but others wore thick leather armor with wore bear pelts that covered their backs, while some donned salvaged imperial plate armor. The rebel forces brought several catapults with them to lay down the pain on the Imperial forces. _

_"Listen up!" Rikke went down the stairs of the battlements and down into the front of her men._

_"I'll keep this short and simple. The enemy is marching towards our position and we are outnumbered two to one. I'd say that's a pretty fair fight. You are the Legion's best soldiers and now is the time to prove that you're worthy of that honor! Trust in your comrades, trust in your abilities! The enemy is upon us, and they will die at your feet!" The Legate raised put her helmet on and raised her sword._

_"HO!" The Imperial soldiers and the archers along the walls simultaneously bellowed and stomped their feet while the Whiterun guardsmen along the walls raised their weapons. The frontliners converged into a box formation six men wide and four men long, forming a shield wall behind the barricaded entryway. The archers lined up on the walls and nocked their arrows on their bows._

_"Sergeants! I'll leave the command of our forces here to you." She marched off and headed for Lydia and Janus._

_"I'm heading up to the main gate and coordinate with the centurion and the rest of the defenders. You know what to do, Venator." Rikke told Janus who slowly nodded in acknowledgement after she strode off to the rest of the men._

_Lydia prepared herself mentally. As a housecarl, she was trained to fight and conditioned to give her life for her thane but for some reason, she was feeling nervous. She had fought off groups of bandits, raiders and other rabble rousers in the past but this was the first time she was going to be squaring off against a ragtag rebel army. This was war and she knew anything could happen. She let her head slump down but Janus put his armored hand on her shoulder._

_"You got this, Lydia. This is our home and we are defending the fuck out of it." Janus said in a calm and confident yet somewhat snarky tone. _

_"Yeah. We got this." She let out a deep breath and held her head up high. Moments later, the horn was sounded._

_She heard the battlecries of the many men and women outside of the walls sound off in the distance._

_"Archers! Fire at will!" One of the sergeants in charge of the squad of archers shouted off and the soldiers let their arrows loose. The battle has officially begun. Janus raised his visor, exposing his face to the harsh weather and looked up at the sky above the entryway, Lydia steeled her resolve and assumed a combat stance._

_Arrows once again rained on them. The defenders were mostly unscathed save for a few archers who were hit in their shoulders, effectively disabling them from using their weapons. Lydia watched the sky and saw large rocks sailing across the air and into their position._

_"Catapult fire! Take cover!" She shouted towards the men. The archers scrambled towards cover but the elite defenders holding the entrance stood their ground. Janus stepped forward and took a deep breath._

_"Fus…" Lydia heard him. He was going for it. She turned her back on him and tried to cover her ears through her helmet._

_"ROH D-" Her ears rang as thunder clapped next to her. The incoming projectiles were met with unrelenting force and were shot back towards the direction of the Stormcloaks. Nearby puddles of water trembled and drops of rain scattered everywhere as the Dragonborn let his voice be heard. The defenders were shaken slightly by the sheer force but they didn't have time to be amazed._

_The Stormcloaks had already passed the stables but as they drew closer, they were cut down by the archers along the upper walls of the city. Imperial wizards rained fire, causing strong explosions that sent incinerated men flying. The reflected rocks from the catapult barrage obliterated the advancing Stormcloaks, but it wasn't enough to stop them. _

_Stormcloak shieldbearers approached the barricade and started to hack away at it with axes and hammers while the Imperial archers did what they can to cut down their numbers. In a few moments, the barricades fell and the rebels faced the Imperial insignia on the shields blocking the entrance and the cold gaze of the men behind them._

_Shields and bodies crashed against the line of defenders but they held firm._

_"Ready!" One of the sergeants yelled. The elite footmen shouted in unison._

_"Strike!" _

_The line of defenders took a heavy step forwards and bashed their tower shields into the enemy frontline, causing the weaker soldiers to fly several feet backwards. The legionnaires withdrew their shields and thrust their swords forward, skewering their enemies before taking a step back. The second line of legionnaires stepped forward as the first defenders retreated to the back, resetting the formation. Any Stormcloak who dared approached the Empire's elite faced swift and fearsome retribution, and those who stayed back were shot down from a distance. _

_Lydia watched in awe as superior tactics overcame brute force. The defenders would cycle between lines of men to maintain maximum uptime on the formation and prevent individual lines from falling to fatigue. It went on for a short while, and she just watched. _

_"Wow. I don't think they even need us here." She said_

_"They're the best of the best after all. Rikke said there's going to be a relief force arriving here soon. We just have to hold out until they arrive but by the looks of things, it doesn't seem like we're gonna need them." Janus's voice sounded hoarse as a result of the full shout he just performed. As he walked back to Lydia's side, a loud, bright, fiery explosion erupted from the entryway._

_The legionnaires buckled as a volatile fireball hit one of the defenders. The soldier absorbed the impact and held his ground but his shield was getting hotter by the second. _

_"Oh that can't be good." Janus mutterred. Seconds later, an even stronger explosion rocked the frontline, sending some of the men stumbling backwards. The smoke cleared, and the formation was broken. _

_"Shit" Janus muttered again, wielding his claymore with both hands. He watched as a Stormcloak soldier execute one of the legionnaires who got knocked down by the explosion._

_"Lydia. Right flank." Lydia said nothing as she darted towards the right flank. She broke her sprint by slamming her shield into one of the rebels, knocking him down and opening him up for a finisher. The rest of the legionnaires held their own against three to four men at a time, but their superior fighting ability gave them the edge against multiple foes._

_Janus picked one of the soul gems in his belt holsters and held his sword in his right hand. He placed the gem on the base of the blade and scraped it towards the tip, overcharging it with soul essence. The etchings flared to life as lightning crackled from the blade. Janus took a step back and with one hand, he thrust the sword towards the open entrance. He closed his eyes._

_Thunder boomed and a bright white flash enveloped his surroundings as an intense bolt of lightning shot from his sword and into the enemy ranks. The lightning bolt obliterated everything in its path. Blood and viscera showered the entryway and the road back to the stables as wet bodies exploded when the bolt forced its way through them. As the lightning bolt dissipated, the enemy soldiers near the point of impact felt an electric shock flow through their bodies, forcing some to drop their weapons and keel over._

_Both Imperials and Stormcloaks gazed at the Dragonborn shortly before continuing the fight. Lydia kicked a rebel soldier off her sword and swung at another one. The enchantments on her blade lit up as it sailed through the air, superheating the metal and cutting through the poor soul's chainmail like a hot knife through warm butter. Raindrops fizzled and evaporated into steam as they made contact with the blade while the rebel stuck on the receiving end screamed as Lydia ripped the blade off his shoulder._

_Janus waded into the frontline and hit an enemy soldier with an uppercut with his claymore. He advanced towards an enemy greatsword-wielder and slammed his sword towards him. The rebel's fast reflexes allowed him to block the Dragonborn's swing, but electricity ran from Janus's blade to his greatsword, giving the rebel a painful shock that made him drop his weapon. The enchantments on Janus's sword died as he gripped the mid section of his blade with his enchanted gauntlets and stabbed it through the rebel's chest before shoving the dying warrior away from his weapon with a strong shoulder bash, leaving the rebel to die in a pool of blood. He gripped his claymore by the blade and proceeded to smash the next batch of incoming enemies with the warhammer-like crossguard fitted into his weapon. The sound of breaking bones and cracking skulls filled the air after each impact. Janus halted his assault as the Stormcloaks retreated a fair distance back towards the stables, watching them through the cold, faceless visage of his helmet._

_Lydia approached her thane and the rest of the legionnaires, standing ready to block the entryway from the opposing force. She heard one of the archers from above shout._

_"Incoming artillery!"_

_She flinched as projectiles from the enemy catapults hit one of the walls of the city, causing it to crumble and fall. She faced forward, facing the army of Stormcloaks that were fast approaching. She raised her shield and flourished her weapon. No one was getting inside the city. Not when she's around. _

* * *

Lydia shook herself awake from the flashback. She had arrived at Riverwood's northern gate and was greeted by one of the guards. It was business as usual in the town; the townsfolk were going about their daily lives and children were playing on the street. She approached the door to the Riverwood Trader and got herself some ingredients.

She entered the Sleeping Giant Inn, hoping to get some rest and refreshments.

"What can I get'cha, housecarl?" Orgnar, the inn's barkeeper asked Lydia as she took a seat.

"Some mead would be nice"

The barkeep nodded and fetched her a bottle of nord mead. As she rested on the bar stool, she heard the door open and two weary hunters entered the establishment. They approached the bar and asked for some ale.

"Aye, the entire village was just empty." One of the hunters told the other. Lydia took a long swig of mead from her bottle and rested it on the table, trying to mind her own business.

"Wasn't that village new, though? The one west of Kynesgrove?" The other hunter asked.

"Aye. It's strange that all the folk just up and left. I was there just the other morning and the people were fine, still getting settled and all that" Orgnar approached them and handed the hunters a tankard of ale each.

"Come to think of it though, I saw some large claw marks along the ground." The hunter followed up before drinking his ale.

"Bears?"

"No, the gashes were too long. Might have been werewolves but there weren't any signs of struggle. No blood, no bodies, no nothing."

Lydia's ears perked up as she heard the mention of werewolves, recalling Serana's story about their late night incursion. She left some septims on the bar counter and took her bottle of mead in one hand. She thanked Orgnar and left the inn. Rumors of missing people were rare but not unheard of but an entire village's population disappearing? Something was wrong, and she can't shake off the feeling that something big was going on behind the scenes.

* * *

The room was bright. Too bright. Janus opened his eyes and saw the curtains and windows by his bedroom were left open, letting the brightness of the sun and the cold breeze seep into his room. Judging by the angle of sunlight, it was close to noon.

Shortly after, he felt his head throb and his joints ached along with his irregular heartbeat. His eyes burned and he could feel a fairly high fever across his body. He groaned in pain as he brought himself higher into the bed's frame.

"Lydia? Serana?" Janus called out. He took a look around his room and then to himself. He was out of his combat attire and in a casual shirt and trousers. He lifted up his shirt by the collar and took a peek at the wounds he sustained from last night. They were mostly gone but there were still some very light scarring left.

"Coming!" He heard Serana shout from downstairs. Janus rested his back against the bed's short headboard and his head against the wall, closing his eyes. A little while later he heard the door open.

"Hey. I got you some food"

"Thanks." Janus slowly opened his eyes and saw Serana slowly approach his desk. He rubbed the blurriness off his eyes and took a good look at the vampire who stood beside his bed.

She was holding a tray with a bowl of food on it. Steam wafted from the bowl and the smell was absolutely scrumptious, but then he looked at Serana.

The braids of her hair were undone, letting it all flow loosely down past her shoulders. The ends of her dress floated freely yet the rest of the dress clung to her tightly, emphasizing the curves of her waistline, chest and shoulders. Its open, plunging neckline gave him a perfect view of Serana's exposed cleavage and upper chest. The open window behind her allowed the sun to trace a faint outline on her right side, further emphasizing her features. He then gazed at Serana's face, her eyes were softly glowing from the sunlight that filtered through the room. There was a faint blush that spread across her cheeks, making her look alive and inviting.

"Oh. Umm..."

This wasn't good, he thought.

"Hmm?" Serana raised an eyebrow as she sat down on the edge of the bed and closer to him. Janus retreated further away from Serana and slightly raised his left knee towards the ceiling.

"Uhhh, hey! What uh, what happened?" He asked nervously, clearing his throat.

"You passed out when we got here. Apparently you're hypothermic and all that blood that one werewolf covered you in gave you rockjoint." She replied while slowly inching towards him, forcing Janus to raise his other leg and lock his knees together.

"Put those down, would you? You shouldn't be straining your joints-" She tried to reach for his knees but was cut off.

"No! No, no, no it's better this way. I need to stretch them out so they don't feel stagnant." He said as he shifted slightly, trying to prevent Serana from noticing the little predicament he was having in his trousers that was gradually getting harder to control.

Serana withdrew her hand and held on to the bowl of food she had prepared.

"Right. Anyway, here. Eat. I made some beef stew." She inched even closer, now with the bowl of stew in her left hand and a wooden spoon full of food on the right. She leaned slightly forwards with a spoonful of stew aimed for his mouth. Janus had nowhere left to run.

"Ahhh" Serana mouthed with a slightly seductive look plastered across her face. Her angle of approach caused the neckline of her dress to loosen, showing off even more skin and sending Janus into a panic. She could see his face grow several shades of red. Internally, she laughed.

"S-s-serana wait a-" She jammed the spoon down his mouth before he could finish his question.

"You're sick. You shouldn't be moving." Serana withdrew the spoon to let him chew his food. Janus rested his head on the wall and stared at the ceiling. He swallowed and slowly raised his left hand to his face, letting out a deep breath shortly after.

Serana grinned at him but felt a bit sorry. Rockjoint wasn't the most debilitating of diseases but it could get really painful at times. That and a strong fever made for a nasty combination and she was surprised that Janus could move at all. She stirred the bowl of stew with the spoon and spoke.

"Lydia went to Riverwood to look for some garlic and hawk feathers. Local stores were either closed or out of stock. Say 'Ahh'" She prepped another spoonful of food for him which he willingly accepted this time, albeit with his eyes closed.

"She should be back any minute now so until then, let me take care of you, alright?" She said with a smile. The sweetness in her voice sent the hairs across Janus's body stand. She heard him mumble in agreement as he was chewing, his hand now clasping his aching forehead. He was still blushing but whether its from the fever or from Serana remains a mystery.

Serana noticed the color of his cheeks and smiled sheepishly. "Good. How is it by the way? The stew?"

Janus rubbed his forehead for a bit then placed his hands on his knees as he swallowed, he looked at Serana dead in her eyes and spoke.

"It's perfect." He gave her a warm, genuine smile. He saw the mischievous smile on her face slowly fade, replaced with an almost embarrassed expression.

"Umm...t-thanks" She stuttered and broke eye contact. For a few seconds, there was silence. She stirred the stew with the spoon again, making sure it didn't go completely cold.

"May I have another bite, please?" Janus asked in a teasingly polite voice. Serana chuckled and prepared another spoonful. Downstairs, she heard the door open.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door. "Serana?" Lydia's voice rang out.

"Come in."

Lydia entered the room with a small pouch of reagents in her hand. She noticed Serana was unusually close to Janus but immediately dismissed it.

"Janus? We may have a problem."

* * *

**A/N: Special thanks to Elianora for the absolutely stunning player house mods that inspired my version of Breezehome, and to everyone who has favorited/followed this story. I'll be doing my best to upload every weekend which depends on whether or not I'm in front of my laptop during said weekends. The only time I get to work on the story is by midnight, right before going to bed so please bear with me ;~;**

**Also, many thanks to my girlfriend for proofreading. u da best. **


	3. Before the Bloodbath

"Good morning to you too, Lydia." Janus greeted his housecarl while slowly relaxing his posture, his face wincing in pain from the rockjoint and he barely felt conscious. Serana placed the bowl of food on the desk next to the bed.

"I've heard some troubling rumors from a hunter while I was in Riverwood." She approached the desk in front of Serana.

"I think it might be related to the werewolf problem you ran into." She placed the small pouch of medicine ingredients on the desk.

"Here are the ingredients for the medicine, Serana. I'll leave the concoction to y-..." Lydia paused as she looked down at Serana who was still sitting on the edge of the bed. Lydia took a good look at Serana's provocative dress and exposed cleavage as the vampire simply smiled at her.

"Like what you see, Lydia?" Serana teased with a smirk on her lips. The shieldmaiden simply sighed. Behind Serana, Janus was starting to nod off again due to his fever.

"I...don't even want to know what you've been doing. Just fix the potion before his condition gets any worse, please?" She gestured to Janus, who was once again fast asleep.

"Alright, fine." Serana replied. She stood up and picked up the bowl of stew in one hand and the ingredient pouch with the other. "Mind telling me about these rumors you've heard?" She gestured towards the door with her head, signalling Lydia to accompany her downstairs to the alchemy table by the kitchen.

The women quietly walked out of the room, leaving the feverish fighter on his own.

"An entire village's worth of people. Gone. The hunter said things were mostly intact, he said there were no signs of conflict but he saw large gashes over the environment. They were too large to be bear marks, so they might be caused by even more werewolves." Lydia explained. She sat down by the fireplace, resting her fur cloak on the backrest of her chair. Serana placed the bowl of food on the dining table and approached the alchemy table by the corner of the kitchen carrying a mortar and pestle.

"So you're thinking a similar group of werewolves did it? A pack of wolves that's acting like an organized crime syndicate?" She asked while mixing in the potion ingredients. Serana put bits of mudcrab chitin and charred skeever hide into the mortar and started to crush the ingredients.

"It could be." Lydia undid the locks keeping her breastplate together and put her armor beside her chair, leaving her with a plain shirt over her torso. "A pack of werewolves that can retain some sense of humanity while in their beast forms are rare but not unheard of. To be honest, inner circle of The Companions is the only group I personally know that can turn into werewolves without going berserk." She relaxed on the chair, letting the warmth of the fire embrace her.

"Come to think of it, the werewolves from the fort seemed to have a stockpile of corpses just rotting away in cages in their little base."

"That's new. You didn't mention that earlier."

"Well there were more pressing matters going on earlier." Serana started to crush the ingredients faster. She added some garlic and hawk feathers to the concoction so Janus would recover quicker.

"Speaking of pressing matters…" Lydia said with a tone of authority in her voice.

"Crap."

"What's this about a partial soul trap?"

"Ugh." Serana paused and rolled her eyes.

"You swore not to do anything stupid while travelling together." Serana could feel daggers shooting out from Lydia's eyes as she stared at her.

"Oh come on, Lydia. We had to do it." The potion was almost complete, she just needed to add a few extracts and some hot water to top it off.

"We had to enter the Soul Cairn to find my mother and one of the elder scrolls but he wouldn't have been able to enter since he was still alive. It was either we partially trap his soul as an offering for the masters of that realm, or we turn him into a vampire. The latter would have been easier and less painful but he didn't want to risk it."

"You ripped off half his soul and offered it to some random death lord?!" Serana could see Lydia's forehead start scrunching up.

"Yeah bu-" Serana was cut off mid-sentence by the shieldmaiden.

"What if his soul got trapped there forever, Serana? He'd have been stuck there for eternity! Imagine how much pain he must've had to endu-"

"I KNOW" Serana raised her voice and slammed the mortar into the alchemy table's surface. She felt frustration growing inside her throat. She placed a hand on the bridge of her nose.

"We didn't agree to have his soul trapped, okay? I told him I'd go to find my mother on my own but he insisted he come. You think I wanted to hurt him? That I'd make his life any worse than it already is?! I already owe the man so much and I don't think eternity would be enough time to pay him back." Serana calmed herself down. She got two vials and poured the finished potion into them; one for today and one for the road. Lydia's expression started to relax too.

"Serana I'm-"

"Say no more. I understand if you still don't trust me being around him all the time, me being an ancient vampire and all, but don't think for a second that I'll willingly hurt Janus. He's done enough for this world, and he deserves so much more." Serana's expression was stern and Lydia took note of that.

"I got carried away. I apologize. It's just that I've been so worried lately." Lydia slumped ever so slightly.

Lydia was the first housecarl ever assigned to Janus and as such, she was his most trusted. The first time they met was when Janus was relatively fresh from the chopping block. He was bestowed the title of Thane by Jarl Balgruuf himself in less than a week's time. He was a far cry away from the man he is now but even then, his resolve was stronger than steel. Out of all the people Lydia has served, Janus was the only one who didn't treat her like a servant despite her insistence that he do so. Not once did she feel like she was serving a master; Janus treated her like a friend, and that was something Lydia never thought she would appreciate as much as she does until now.

"Apology accepted. I made enough stew for all of us. Go ahead and grab a bite to eat." Serana nodded at her while making her way to the stairs. "Oh and thanks for fetching the ingredients."

"Alright, thanks." Lydia said as she stood up.

"Hey." Serana looked back at the shieldmaiden.

"I do trust you, Serana. With my life."

Both of the women gave each other a warm smile.

"Likewise." Serana replied before marching up the stairs, medicine in hand.

* * *

_Janus woke up to the smell of burning flesh and flora. He was still wearing his casual clothes but wasn't in his house anymore. He felt beaten and tired but otherwise fairly limber, like he was never sick, as he stood up to survey his surroundings. He was standing near a road in a forest area; the vestiges of conflict littered the otherwise peaceful locale. The corpses of Imperial and Stormcloak forces were scattered across the battlefield, blood and gore caked the land and the trees but amongst the carnage, Janus recognized a uniform he thought he would see again. _

_He approached the corpse that was resting near a fallen tree. The deceased man wore a set of hard boiled leather armor matched with a dark cloak and a pair of steel gauntlets meant for parrying. The armor had intricate engravings covering it, giving it a stylish yet imposing look, and on the center of the armor's girdle was an engraving of a lion's head. He looked at the man's face. _

_'Jorn?' He thought. His eyes widened after seeing the lifeless body of one of his old friends._

_The dead man was a member of the Crownbreakers, a company of mercenaries notorious for aiding uprisings. The Breakers roamed Tamriel, jumping from region to region looking for the next great revolt to happen and for a price, they would aid rebel forces with cunning tactics and ruthless efficiency. They fought to overthrow oppressive lords and abusive nobles. For a time, they were hailed as heroes by common folk and villains by governments but to Janus, the mercenary band was the only family he has ever had. _

_Janus's heart started racing as he realized where he was. The dead Nord in front of him was indeed one of the Crownbreakers, and the land he was standing on was their final resting place._

_He took a long look at his surroundings and spotted more dead Breakers. His breathing became erratic. Lying on the dirt and drowning in their own blood were the men and women that Janus had grown up with. The ones that taught him how to fight, how to survive, how to laugh. They were the ones who took him in after he ran away from the wretched place he used to call "home". _

_He used to hunt deer with Sonya. He learned how to sing and play the lute because of Arno. He defended an entire village from marauders, fighting back-to-back with Jorn, Dirk and Marshall. He used to be sweet on Kierra._

_He saw himself spending the rest of his life with his new-found family. Now, all he's seeing are their battered bodies and his own shattered dreams. _

_"Janus" He heard a weak voice call for him from the back of his head, but the scene displayed before him was louder. His own thoughts were muddled by disbelief, despair and bewilderment. Janus stepped forward, examining the bloody faces of the members of his family. _

_"Hey, Janus" The same voice called to him again, louder this time but he paid it no mind. Memories of his teenage years came flooding back to him and it forced him to his knees, Shortly after, he heard a young man scream._

_Janus turned his head and saw a young man in the distance, holding the limp body of a young woman in his arms. Again the young man screamed but this time it was weaker, filled with the pain of loss. The air was then filled with loud sobbing. Janus took a closer look and felt tears stream down his cheeks._

_The young man was him, and he was holding the dead body of his best friend; the first woman he ever loved._

"Janus!"

Janus opened his eyes and drew in a sharp breath. Serana's was beside his bed again, leaning towards him with her hand was on his chest, still trying to shake him awake.

"Finally. I thought you'd never wake up." Serana slowly backed up and sat back down on the chair beside the bed. Janus took a few deep breaths and stared at the vampire's eyes, which were a tad bit brighter than usual. He scanned her face like it was the first time he's ever seen her; her pale skin, the slight blush on her cheeks, the outline of her jaw, the fullness of her lips. He sighed and closed his eyes but as he did, tears flowed.

He was just about as confused as Serana was as she saw tears streaming down his face. Serana tried to reach for his face but Janus wiped away the tears with his left hand.

"Well, what was that about? Were you...crying?" Serana said, a hint of concern in her tone. Janus said nothing but he continued to wipe his cheeks.

"Hey" Serana leaned towards him. "I'm here, talk to me. What's wrong?" She placed her hand on his forehead, trying to get a feel on how bad his fever was.

"Nothing. I'm okay, perfectly fine." Janus gently pried Serana's hand off of his face.

"I'm alright." He smiled weakly at her while still holding her hand but Serana wasn't buying it. She had seen him covered in cuts and gashes. She had seen him standing on death's door on more than one occasion before but this is the first time she has ever seen him shed any tears.

"No you're not." She was audibly concerned.

"Yes, I am. It's just a...bad dream." His voice trailed off by the end.

"You want to talk about it?"

Janus paused for a bit to consider his response.

"No. Not really. Not now at least…" His weak smile faded as he rested his head on his pillow. Serana pulled her hand off of his and took the vial of medicine that she placed on the desk next to her.

"If you say so. Here, to make you feel better." She handed the vial to Janus. He removed the cap covering the mouth of the glass container and quickly drank the medicine like a shot of hard liquor. The mixture was slightly thick and slimy in texture, and it left a woefully bitter taste with a hint of spice in his mouth. He groaned. Serana handed him a cup of water to help him wash down the taste.

"The fever should disappear in a few minutes but the rockjoint will take a while before it goes away completely. Try not to move around too much."

"Noted, thanks."

"Talk to me, okay?" She sat back on the chair, casting her shadow on Janus as she blocked the light coming from the window.

"Hmm?" Janus looked at Serana. Her dress was still rather revealing but her cleavage was the least of his worries right now. He noticed the veins on her cheeks were starting to become more pronounced. The skin on her neck and collar that were normally pale and snow-white were starting to turn a dark, greyish color. Her crimson eyes were starting to grow a shade of yellow.

She was thirsty, and he knew it.

"Is there something on my face?" Serana teased.

"Not just your face, actually." Janus replied, gesturing towards Serana's exposed collar.

"Oh, uhh…" The vampire started to blush. She completely forgot to tie the strings of her dress back together. She didn't feel embarrassed earlier during her little stunt but now that the intention to reveal herself was gone, she could feel her modesty gnaw at her conscience.

"I-I-I uhh, didn't notice, sorry." She scrambled to fix herself, stuttering and laughing nervously.

"No, not that." Janus then gestured toward his neck. Then, Serana knew what he was talking about.

"Oh this? You don't need to worry about this, I'm perfectly fine, see?" Serana stood up from the chair and flaunted her body at him.

Janus wasn't convinced.

"The eyes never lie." He said.

Serana sighed and plopped back on the chair. Yes, she was thirsty. Enough to make her physical appearance change.

"Damn it. That bad already?"

"Yeah. When was the last time you had a, uh...drink?" Janus shook the sleep off his eyes. The medicine was working but he still felt a bit weak.

"A proper feeding? Well over two weeks ago, I guess" Serana replied. She was touching the parts of her that were starting to change. The patches of skin along her upper chest was starting to feel coarse and necrotic whilst veins and arteries around her neck were starting to feel a bit more pronounced. It was amazing how she never felt them earlier, she thought.

"I should be fine in a few hours or so, I could give you some of my blood if you'd like?" Janus shifted his body into a seated position. He pushed himself up and rested his back on the headboard.

Janus had experienced a vampire's thirst before when he contracted Sanguinare Vampiris during an expedition into an old crypt that turned out to be a vampire lair. He fainted out of exhaustion after eliminating the little organization of vampires in the crypt and he woke up with a pair of sharp teeth and an itch in his throat that wouldn't go away. The heightened senses was nice but couldn't imagine living with an eternal thirst for blood.

"Thanks but I think I can manage. Lydia mentioned something important earlier, something that might be related to our little werewolf encounter. You may want to talk to her about it." Serana stopped tracing her skin and let out a sigh.

"Alright then. Are you sure you don't want some of my blood right now? You look like you need it."

"Yes, I'm sure." She stood up and slowly made her way to the door leading outside of the room.

"Besides" She looked back at him, her hand holding on to the door frame. "If I had to feed on you, I think I'd lose my mind." The look on her eyes were dead serious but still, she had managed to flash him a playful if not seductive smile before she went down the stairs, leaving the man horribly confused.

* * *

Serana went passed Lydia who was now reading a book by the fireplace. She went straight for her room and collapsed on her bed.

She remembered the first time she had tasted his blood. Serana had helped carry Janus into a tent in an abandoned campsite somewhere east of Markarth after they were ambushed by a party of Forsworn headhunters. The duo successfully repelled the attackers but both of them were left bloodied. Serana had minor cuts from an uncomfortably close encounter with one hunter and her left shoulder was struck by an arrow. Janus took a heavier beating and a lucky mace hit to his knee that left him unable to walk. The weather back then wasn't exactly cooperating either.

Serana was covered in his blood when they reached the nondescript yet highly convenient campsite by the river where they stayed for a attempts to patch the dragonborn up only left her covered in even more blood and out of sheer, morbid curiosity, she decided to lick the blood off her fingers.

She never expected his blood to taste so...exquisite. Human blood often tasted like iron and disappointment so she never drank blood for the taste. Serana drank blood to stave off the thirst that was natural to all vampires. She liked the feeling of having it sated; she didn't get moody nor did she have violent tendencies when her thirst was satisfied, plus, not having to worry about her appearance was a nice touch.

She had certainly developed an acquired taste for human blood but she only ever saw it as a necessity, something to stave off the creature of the night within her but Janus's blood was different. Unlike the rest, his blood didn't have the taste of iron. His had a much heartier taste, similar to warm, cream soup topped with a hint of spice. The texture was rich and the flavor was literally divine. There was no disappointment, only want.

Ever since then, she wanted more of his blood. Serana hated seeing Janus broken and battered but very deep inside, she wanted him to bleed. She didn't want to settle with the blood of the common-folk and the bandit rabble she used to prey on anymore. Serana wanted to dig her fangs in deep into Janus's neck and just let it all flow into her. She wanted to savour it. She wanted to drink every last drop of it. Not only was it more invigorating, it was also a lot more intoxicating, so much so that it started to seem more like a luxury than a necessity and she knew full well that it was a luxury that she couldn't afford.

After all, Janus would die if he lost all his blood. She wouldn't be able to get any more of it if he died. She wouldn't be able to feel his hands all over her body if he died. She wouldn't get to feel his lips on hers if he died.

Serana groaned as she buried her face into her soft pillow. Perhaps she was thirstier than she thought. After a few minutes of silencing her thoughts through meditation, she was able to lull herself to sleep.

* * *

It was already in the early hours of the evening. The sun hasn't completely set yet but it was already casting its last few rays of light for the day. Janus had completely recovered from his ailments and went downstairs to get a rundown of the situation from Lydia. The shieldmaiden explained the story she heard from the hunter at Riverwood, hoping to get a reaction from her thane.

"Alright, so..." Janus sat on the vacant chair by the fireplace with a bowl of warm food on his hands. Lydia placed a bookmark on the novel she was reading and closed the book, placing it on her lap.

"Again, it's just a rumor as of now, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"It could be worth investigating. Those bandit-werewolf guys from last night had stockpiled bodies in their little den. Maybe there's another group doing the same thing." Janus stuffed a spoonful of beef and tomato sauce into his mouth. The thick, aromatic sauce mixed with herbs complemented the soft yet succulent meat, making his mouth water even more after swallowing his first bite.

"Yes. Serana told me about the cages. She also told me about your little Soul Cairn trip" Lydia said rather casually.

"And you didn't kill her? I'm surprised." He wasn't surprised, but he acted like it.

"Well, I overreacted but I know she has good intentions. She cares for you, and that's good enough for me."

"Mmhmm" Janus was too busy enjoying his meal and a part of him was just hoping that he wouldn't get scolded for insisting on doing something so risky.

"You like her, don't you?" She asked, the casual tone of her voice never leaving.

"I like a lot of people." He said, his eyes never leaving the bowl of food in his hands.

"You _like_ her" Lydia was beginning to tease.

"I like _you_, Lydia" He muttered while chewing on meat.

"Oh don't give me that nonsense." She shrugged off his futile attempt at redirecting the conversation.

Janus paused. Lydia had eventually broken down the barrier between them as they were adventuring across Skyrim and ever since then, they would tease each other like the best of friends.

"What do you want from me, woman?" He looked at her with a blank expression, his hands still holding on to his food.

"Nothing. Just want you to be more honest with yourself." Lydia relaxed on her seat, legs crossed, one hand over the other.

"I'm pretty honest with myself"

"So you're saying you don't have any feelings for her?"

"No-I mean, yes I...don't?"

Janus slurred. Either the medicine was still in his system or he was just _that_ confused. He took in another spoonful of stew to help calm his nerves, then he spoke.

"I don't know, Lydia. She's smart and fun to be with and what not. She may be a vampire but her heart is in the right place, you know?" He finished the rest of his beef stew and continued.

"I can see a bit of myself in her and because of that, I feel more...alive."

"Interesting"

"And besides, have you seen her?" Janus leaned towards Lydia who simply nodded. She agreed that Serana was a fine looking woman, considering how she herself would often glance at her whenever they were together.

"Can't argue with that." Both of them relaxed in their respective seats as they chuckled. Silence grew between them as they both stared at the fire.

"I'm sure you'll watch over her, Janus. I know you'll protect her with all you have. Unlike then, you're much stronger now, and I'm confident you won't let anything happen to her." Janus glanced at Lydia, the light of the flame illuminating her features. She glanced back and said:

"You deserve a shot at happiness." She smiled at him encouragingly. Before Janus could say anything, they heard a door open.

The two of them turned their heads towards the other end of the room. Serana had just exited her room and she wasn't looking very happy. Her hair was disheveled, her dress was ruffled and her eyes were now a bright yellow. She took a seat at the dining table across her room and grabbed the bottle of ale that was sitting on the table. In one long swig, Serana emptied the bottle of liquor while Lydia and Janus simply stared at her. She slammed the bottle back onto the table and gave it a long, disapproving look.

Janus approached the dining table and sat next to Serana. He placed his empty bowl on the table placed her hand on Serana's shoulder. The vampire shifted her gaze towards Janus, who gazed back at her with a worried expression. Serana's skin was one shade of gray darker than usual and the veins around her lower jaw were starting to grow even darker. Janus scanned the features of her face; despite her messy hair, groggy eyes and more vampiric appearance, he still thought she was beautiful. After a few seconds of staring at each other in complete silence, Serana hissed, as if she was demanding something.

"Well then" He patted her on the back twice. "Go grab your equipment. We're going to Kynesgrove."

"Can we make a detour or...several?" Serana asked weakly, her voice a bit raspy despite downing an entire bottle of alcohol.

"Of course"

"Thank you." She whispered. Serana marched back to her room to get dressed while Janus approached the armory. Lydia's gaze met his, and he simply shrugged.

"Yes, yes, just go. I'll hold the fort while you're gone."

Janus gave her a nod of appreciation and stepped inside the armory. Daedric artifacts lined the left side of the room while various enchanted swords and axes were displayed on the right. Opposite of the door were five mannequins, each wearing a different set of armor.

"Alright then, let's see what the night has in store for us." He cracked his knuckles and went for one of his long, silver swords.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late upload (again), I ended up being way busier than expected. Things are gonna start ramping up in the next chapter and I'd like to take my time with it so it doesn't come out as _meh._**

**Leave a review or a comment so I know what to improve on! I'd love to know your thoughts, especially on character development since I'm still pretty new to this. Oh and before I forget, thanks to everyone who has followed the story so far!**


	4. Memories and Moonlight

It was dusk.

Janus stepped out of his armory, donning a set of mixed armor pieces. It wasn't as light as the one he wore in their previous incursion; his current loadout featured a solid, silver breastplate complemented by a layer of leather over chainmail that protected what the plate armor could not. Again, another thick cloak rested on his back and fur lined the rims of his metal gauntlets and boots. He made a few final adjustments to the belts and fittings of his armor to make sure nothing would fall off and did a few warm-up exercises so he could get a better feel for his equipment.

The set was leagues lighter than his set of enchanted ebony plate armor that served as his armory's centerpiece. Plate armor tended to be more cumbersome against monsters and since they were expecting werewolves, he knew he had to prepare for such. Janus grabbed his travel pack and started to stow some essentials for the road: food, water, potions, a sleeping bag and a good book. Lydia, who was still reading, watched as Janus went in circles around the first floor of the house, opening almost every container possible as he searched for potions. She glanced over to the dragonborn and spoke.

"Would it kill you to organize your items for once? You can't just keep storing your potions in the bookshelves for crying out loud."

"I will not." Janus replied defiantly. "Thanks for not reorganizing them while I'm gone, by the way." He looked at Lydia as he was reaching for a bookshelf near the front door. He pulled out a book in the middle shelf and grabbed a small health potion that was hidden behind it, showing it to Lydia before slotting it in one of the open holsters in his belt.

"You're welcome, I suppose." Lydia sighed and continued reading. Meanwhile, Serana stepped out of her room.

She wore her typical maroon colors and her dark leather armor but this time the collared, long-sleeved shirt she wore completely covered her upper chest unlike her usual attire. Serana also had a thicker and much larger cloak which was big enough to completely cover her up if she so decided to. She had wool gloves covering her hands and thicker legwear to keep her relatively warm. It was held tight to her hip by a sturdy leather belt with slots for some potions and a dagger that Janus had crafted especially for her. On her back was a bedroll attached on top of a small travel bag.

Janus examined the vampire's attire. It was weird seeing Serana all covered up for the winter considering that she's technically undead, and with an affinity for ice to boot. Maybe she was just trying out something new? Maybe she actually hated the cold? Or maybe she could use a hug to warm her up? He noticed the look on her face was still a bit sour; It wasn't as bad as earlier but it was enough to make him think twice about asking stupid questions.

"You ready?" Janus asked Serana while packing up the last of his provisions. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and covered the lower half of her face with a cloth mask. The majority of her more vampiric features were now completely covered save for her once-crimson eyes that were now glowing a faint, yellow hue. She looked at him and simply nodded, yet he couldn't brush off a faint aura of malice emanating from her.

"Alright then. I'll leave the house to you, Lydia. We'll be sure to head here first once we're done."

Lydia simply hummed in agreement. It wasn't the first time she was left alone in the house and she was sure it wasn't going to be the last. She craved for action when she first started travelling with Janus. Lydia was with him for most of the World Eater crisis and she got to see all the action she could ever have asked for, though she admits it was a bit too much at times. Now, whenever Janus leaves her to "protect" the house, she remembers all of the close calls the two of them have had in the past. She may be duty bound to her thane but her thirst for combat has been more than quenched. The anxiety gnaws at her sometimes whenever she thinks of the possibility of Janus failing to come home, but what could possibly harm a go-getting slayer of men and gods such as himself?

Her mind flashed back to earlier that day. She felt her heart sink a little.

"Be careful, okay? Both of you."

"We will, _mother_." Janus chuckled, a hint of mockery tinted his voice. Serana had already reached for the door and set foot outside.

"I'm serious." She replied. Janus pulled up his hood and stood by the door, looking back at Lydia, he spoke.

"Don't worry. This won't take long." He flashed her a smile, which earned him a nod of agreement. Janus stepped out of the house, gazing at the magnificent blend of blue, orange and purple that plastered the sky. The sun was almost gone and if there was a perfect time for werewolves to start showing up, then this would be it. Serana was leaning against one of the wooden support beams in front of Warmaidens. She was trying hard to look inconspicuous but the citizens of Whiterun that were passing by the shop was still glancing over at her.

The guardsmen of Whiterun know that Serana's a vampire. They were somewhat paranoid about it, at first, but after a few words with the commander, Janus had convinced them that she was of no threat to Whiterun. Luckily, the guards at the front gate were friendly, and they didn't dare treat Serana any less than she deserved.

"Safe travels, Dragonborn and uh…" One of the guards greeted them on their way out of the city. Serana glanced at the man.

"Oh, forgive me, Lady Serana. I didn't recognize you." The guard postured himself as best he could and gave her a polite bow. Serana blinked at him and once again shifted her eyes to the ground. Janus placed his armored hand on the young guard's shoulder and reassured him.

"Thank you, Mikell." He said. Serana marched ahead of Janus, who was still standing by the guard.

"Did something happen? She seems a bit...hostile." The guard, Mikell, said.

"It'll pass. Don't worry, she won't bite." Janus gave Mikell a smile and followed Serana towards the stables. The dumbfounded guard's shoulders dropped, glad that he wouldn't have to deal with whatever carnage the vampire may or may not unleash.

Janus waved goodbye to the guard and walked away. The sun was setting, and it was going to be a long night.

* * *

The sun had set and moonlight painted Skyrim's glorious landscapes. The pair had to take Janus' horse to Kynesgrove. They had originally planned to take Bjorlam's carriage to the quiet little town but he was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the horses of Skyrim are tough and hardy, and Janus' black courser was no exception. The stallion was more than capable of carrying both the dragonborn and the vampire on it's back including all of their equipment and provisions. The saddle Janus had was big but it was barely enough to comfortably seat the two of them; it wasn't that bad, but it definitely could be better.

Serana was frustrated, to say the least. Her appearance wasn't the only thing that changed whenever her vampiric powers manifested. Every time her thirst got exceptionally bad, her emotions went haywire. Normally, it didn't bother her but this time it was tangibly worse. Hundreds of random thoughts simultaneously raced inside her head, messing her up even more.

A primal flame lit inside her. Serana's instincts were telling her to rip out the throat of the man right in front of her, and she despised it. She was fine during the other several hundred times she went for long periods of time without feeding on somebody, so why is now any different?

_"Keep calm, Serana, we'll find someone to brutalize sooner or later." _She thought to herself. Serana tightened her grip around Janus' waist and with her amplified physique, he definitely felt it.

"Ow, hey, cut that out! You're going to squeeze my guts out." Janus snapped, fearing for the safety of his internal organs. Serana snapped back into the real world upon hearing his voice.

"Oh-, I...um…" She took in a deep breath through her nose and caught a whiff of the dragonborn's scent. Beyond the smell of steel, silver and a faint hint of lavender, she could smell something much richer and much more inviting. Serana felt her chest tighten upon detecting the scent; it was a scent sweeter than the rarest fruit, more inviting than a hot meal after a long and tiring day.

It was the smell of blood. His blood.

"Serana?" Janus looked over his shoulder and noticed she was breathing very heavily. He signalled his horse to slow down a little.

Again, Serana's primal instincts were shutdown when she heard him speak.

"Janus...I'm...I'm sorry." She whispered. Serana wrapped her arms around the man's stomach and rested her forehead on his back, forcing him to straighten up his posture.

"I'm sorry." She repeated.

"For what?" Janus cleared his throat. He wasn't expecting her to embrace him but he wasn't complaining.

"Acting the way I am. I don't know. For some reason, I feel like I haven't fed in years and the thirst is getting really...difficult to fight back. That and my thoughts are all over the place right now" She said. Her voice was stern and her tone was serious.

"I thought you said the last time you fed was two weeks ago?"

"I know what I said!" The sudden shift in her tone surprised the dragonborn. Serana suddenly jumped from apologetic to aggressive in the blink of an eye.

"I...yeah...see what I mean? It's getting bad, Janus. I can control it for a little while longer but I can't promise that I won't jump at the next schmuck we come across" Her voice was quivering and so did her hands, but more so.

"Why not take up my offer then? I told you earlier I could let you have my blood."

Janus had pulled the reins of his horse, causing it to stop in the middle of the road. He pried Serana's arms off his stomach and held on to one of her hands, motioning for her to step down from the saddle, which she did.

"Janus, I can't."

He removed the gauntlet of his left hand and placed it inside one of the open pouches strapped to his horse's rig. Janus rolled up the sleeve covering his left arm and placed Serana's hand on it.

"Just do it. I won't let you starve yourself." He said.

"I can't. I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"Addiction" She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. Serana pulled the hood off her head with her free hand, revealing her face that had clearly gotten even more vampiric than before.

"Addiction? What do you mean '_addiction'?_"

"I won't sugarcoat it. Compared to literally everyone else, your blood tastes absolutely divine." Janus chuckled a bit, but the look in her eyes said it all. She wasn't kidding.

"I'm serious." She pulled the loosely hanging mask down from her lower face and stepped forward, bringing herself closer to Janus, who was about half a head taller than her. She looked up at his eyes and held his exposed arm with both her hands.

"It must have something to do with your whole dragonborn thing. Your blood is _addicting. _It's..._delicious, _more so than the rest that I've tried in the past_. _I almost lost myself the first time I had a _drop_ of it and trust me, you don't want to get a vampire sucking you dry."

Janus giggled. Immaturely, at that.

"Not what I meant!" Serana raised her voice, seeing that he was thinking of a completely different version of bloodlust. She would have been beet-red by now if it wasn't for the current situation; she wasn't feeling it. She threw his arm back at him as his giggling turned into laughter while Serana covered her face with her hands.

"I don't want to lose control. I don't want to lose myself. Not again…Never again..." She mumbled. Memories were popping up in her mind; ones that she would rather forget.

She heard the sound of a dagger being withdrawn from its scabbard. Serana took her hands off her face and saw Janus holding a small dagger to his exposed arm.

"No. Please don't." Serana pleaded. She could feel her instincts grow stronger; the thought of Janus' blood spilling out of an open wound was both terrifying yet extremely tantalizing.

"You know I can always just pry you off, right?" Janus said as-a-matter-of-factly. It was true, though. He can most definitely pry Serana off of him if she started losing control.

In one swift motion, he slit the mid-section of his arm vertically, making sure to avoid any major veins and arteries but still allowing enough blood to flow out.

Serana took a sharp breath as her brain went into overdrive. Goosebumps covered her skin and her knees were starting to buckle from the sheer temptation. If she had a more expendable source of blood then she would have gladly taken the opportunity, but this was different. Her desire to get a taste of his blood was only getting amplified by her thirst, and it was driving her nuts.

"I trust you, Serana. I'll be sure to tell you if I can't give anymore, alright? I'll be fine." Janus gave her a warm smile, but her eyes never left the wound on his arm. She wasted no time. Serana grabbed his arm and sank her fangs deep into his flesh a few inches just above the cut, causing Janus to wince at the sharp sensation. He could feel his blood flow out as the vampire helped herself to as much as she can. He could hear Serana's deep and frantic breathing as she drank. Janus had never seen her like this before, not even during their long excursion through the Forgotten Vale and it's many, interconnected realms. Something was wrong, and he couldn't shake that feeling off.

On the other hand, Serana was in a state of absolute euphoria. She let go of all her inhibitions and simply let all of her primal instincts control her.

"Serana."

The itch in the back of her throat was disappearing with every ounce of blood she consumed. She felt warmth surge throughout her entire body. The burning in her eyes had ceased, tension across her body had disappeared and the nagging voice in her head had been silenced...for the most part.

"Serana, stop."

She kept drinking, relishing the flavor of liquid divinity that flowed into her. She was right. Having a mouthful of Janus' blood was nothing compared to the tiny trickles that she had had before. She had gone from sipping wine to gorging on a feast that only the best chefs in the realm could prepare. Her breathing had started to relax and her cheeks went from pale to pink as she moaned, delighted at the perverted pleasure she was indulging herself in.

"Alright, that's enough." She felt an armored hand grasp her by the top of her head. Janus had pushed her away with enough force to send her stumbling backwards. Serana felt dismayed, at first, but what she saw in front of her was enough to bring her back to reality.

"Oh no." She said beneath her breath.

Serana watched as Janus' arm fell limp into his side and to say it was just wounded would be an understatement. The initial incision that he had made had widened, surrounded by bite marks that looked like stab wounds from a serrated blade. Janus' breathes were deeper than normal, clearly her feeding had drained him. Her face sank, and moonlight reflected on her watery eyes.

"I'm sorry." The first tear fell. She looked down at her bloodstained clothes and wiped away the blood oozing from the sides of her mouth with her trembling hands.

"It's okay, don't worry! I'll be fine" Janus said in an oddly cheery voice. He noticed her appearance was slowly going back to normal, but she was crying. Serana was looking at her shaking hands as if she just murdered someone in cold blood.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...Imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry" More tears streamed down her face and she started sobbing. Janus quickly closed his wounds with a healing spell and rushed towards the vampire. He placed his good hand on her shoulder and pulled her close, letting her bury her head into the crook of his neck. Janus had never seen Serana be overtaken by bloodlust before, and neither has he really seen her cry. She didn't cry when they killed Harkon. She didn't cry when she made peace with her mother. She was distraught when she found out that the friendly stray dog that often accompanied Whiterun's night watch passed away, but no tears were shed.

That's what confused Janus most. As far as he knew, vampires didn't cry when they drank the blood of their victims. Logic would dictate that they would feel ecstatic as their primal urges subsided, so why was Serana crying?

He hugged her tightly with his one arm as she sobbed into him. Now was not the time for logic.

The two of them stayed in place until Serana's sobbing died down. She was the first to let go.

"Sorry you had to see me like that." She said after pulling herself out of Janus' arms.

"No, it's my fault. I didn't know I'd get that sort of reaction from you." Janus tried moving his left arm. He was able to move it again now that the muscles torn by Serana's fangs were fully healed, but the amount of blood he lost has left him dizzy. He was still able to stand but keeping his posture up was a struggle.

Serana used her cloak to wipe her face. She felt some semblance of comfort as the soft fur touched her cheeks and she let out a deep breath to regain her composure before looking back up to the dragonborn. The thirst was gone and so were the side effects; she's back to her usual self but emotionally she still felt conflicted, if not vulnerable.

"We should keep moving. Whatever trail that might be there might go cold. She said while walking towards the horse, avoiding eye contact.

"Of course, but...can you take the reins, please?" He asked.

Serana stopped and examined Janus. His face was pale and his left arm was hanging loosely on his side; he was able to move it, but the weight of the gauntlet that he re-equipped was proving to be too much for him at the moment. Janus looked like he was about to fall over at any moment, and all Serana could do was frown.

"Oh, Janus...I'm so sorry." She clasped her hands together and bowed apologetically, much to the dragonborn's surprise.

"Hey, come on, there's no need for that." He said reassuringly. Janus approached her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"So long as you're feeling better now, then it's all worth it." He smiled.

Serana slowly fixed her posture, looked him in the eye and nodded.

"Thanks" She said. "Come on, let's go."

They mounted the horse with Serana handling the reins.

* * *

The two of them had been mostly quiet after resuming their little trek to Kynesgrove on horseback. Nothing much was said apart from the occasional comment about the weather and a bit of banter here and there. The night was calm and colorful streaks of light painted the sky, complementing the myriad of bright stars that dotted the wide, black canvass. Serana had her hands on the reins of the horse, making sure the loyal animal did not run off at the sight of wolves and making sure they were headed the right way. Janus, who was now sitting behind Serana, had his hands on his knees.

"Hey, about earlier..." Serana broke the serene silence.

"What about it?"

"The whole crying thing, I thought you should at least know about it" She said.

"Serana, you don't have to justify anything to me."

"That's sweet of you, but I think you at least deserve an explanation." Serana added.

"Alright, if you say so. I'm all ears."

"You know I've been around for a very, very long time, right?"

Janus hummed in agreement.

"Over those years, I've learned how to control my urges. I have to keep my appearance as human as possible, after all, if I ever wanted to blend in. I could go without food, drink or blood for weeks without much of a problem and I'm happy that I still can up until now..." Serana shook her head lightly, noticing that she's going somewhat off-topic.

"Well, anyway, Back in the Third Era, long before mother locked me away here in Skyrim, I was exploring a deep cave system that lead to the stronghold of an old vampire clan that had since disappeared, or at least that was what the rumors said. Little old me, being the rebellious, adventuring type that I am, decided to follow through on those rumors. Instead of treasure or valuable history, all I found was a mine filled with giant spiders and rotting corpses." She sneered, as if scoffing at her past self.

"Then, as if the gods weren't satisfied enough with my disappointment, a strong earthquake hit the area and blocked off all my exits. I got caved in."

"That can't be good. How long were you stuck there?" Janus asked.

"Seven months"

"Seven months?!" If Janus was drinking anything then, he would've spat it out upon hearing how long Serana was trapped inside.

"Yes. Seven months. Fortunately, the cave system was enormous and deep inside there was a cavern with all sorts of plants and streams of water coming from everywhere. I stayed there and ate whatever I could find until I couldn't take it anymore. I never went for that long without blood before. That and the lack of anyone to talk to was driving me insane and now that I think of it, I'm lucky I didn't lose my mind then and there." She explained. A look of mild shock was still plastered on Janus' face, but Serana continued.

"By the third month or so, I had already started...changing. The longer I went without blood, the stronger my powers got and eventually, I began transforming much like how my father did when we killed him, but only partially. I didn't sprout any wings or anything but I could feel myself grow. The sensation was amazing and yet so terrifying. Anyway, I got strong enough to dig my way out and..."

Serana paused. The sound of water running down a nearby stream and leaves rustling as the wind blew across the mountainside filled the sudden silence that interrupted Serana's story.

"And?" Janus asked, eagerly anticipating what happens.

"I stumbled upon a cottage right after escaping the caves. It was a cozy little home in the woods; right by a lake and not too far from the road. The lamps were lit and smoke was coming from the chimney, and there I was, starving and barely-sane. Inside was a family of five, enjoying a home-cooked dinner."

Janus felt his heart sink. He had a feeling where this story was going. Serana continued.

"I barged in through the front door and snapped the father's neck when he tried to defend his family." Her voice started shaking.

"Then, this young boy charged at me with a dinner knife, trying to protect his mother and two sisters. I threw him towards a wall. He died instantly." She was quivering.

"Serana, stop. I get it."

"No. You don't. I invaded an innocent home and let two young girls watch as I bathed in the blood of their parents and younger brother. I only realized what I did when I finally had my fill and frankly, I was just as horrified as them." She looked over her shoulder and saw Janus' worried expression.

"I'm a monster, Janus. I try my best not to be, but I guess it's in my nature." Serana's face was void of any emotion.

That was one thing Janus noticed about Serana while they were travelling together during the Harkon crisis: she never magically disappeared to devour some random citizen because she was thirsty for blood. In fact, the only ones she ever got any blood from were the unlucky bandits that had the misfortune of choosing them as their targets, and even then she seldomly fed. At first glance, Serana would like any other woman albeit with red eyes, sharp teeth and a strange aversion to the sun. Not once did Janus ever see Serana hurt an innocent person during their time together, and hearing her story gave him all the insight he needed.

"No. You're not." He said. Serana's ears perked up.

"A monster doesn't feel remorse, Serana. I know you would never willingly hurt an innocent person. You're not like your father or any other vampire I know, in fact. You care for the people around you and for the most part, that's all you need to separate men from monsters. " Janus explained.

"You're not a horrible person either. For all this time, you carried that burden with you and instead of burying it until you forgot about it, you let it serve as a reminder. You've carried on and continued being the best you can be despite going through such a horrible experience, and that makes you absolutely amazing."

'Aw, crap' Serana thought. Tears were welling up in here eyes again.

"And what if it happens again, huh? What if I murder another family again? If I ruin another innocent child's life again?"

"Then I'll stop you. I'm with you Serana, and I'll save you from your darkness as many times as you'd need."

Those were the words Serana never thought she wanted to hear. Tears flowed from her eyes and onto her blushing cheeks.

"Well, aren't you absolutely charming?" She chuckled with tears on her face. Serana praised the gods that he wasn't able to see her face right now.

"I do my best." Janus smiled. Her comment was a sign that the tension has been lifted, and Serana was now back to her normal self.

"And, I meant every word that I said." He added.

"Yes, yes, I know you did, tough guy. I'm not doubting you. You owe me, though."

"Excuse me?" Janus tilted his head slightly to the left, visibly confused.

"You owe me a heartbreaking, personal story. I told you one of mine, now it should only be fair that you tell me one of yours in return."

She was definitely back to normal, he thought.

"Devious little...fine, but after we deal with this werewolf thing, alright? I'm going to need a drink or five."

"I'll buy the drinks, then?"

"Deal"

The two of them laughed. Serana had inched ever so slightly closer to Janus.

"We're nearly there. We should try to find some lodging first, then we'll continue on foot. Sounds good?" Janus said, to which Serana agreed.

* * *

In the distance, the silhouette of the small-yet-developing town of Kynesgrove could be seen and shortly after, they arrived. The night was still young and townspeople were going about their nightly revelry to celebrate the end of another hard day of labor. Serana hitched their horse on a post by the town's outskirts and together, she and Janus entered the Braidwood Inn where a fair amount of the townsfolk have gathered, singing songs and drinking the night away. The sound of chattering patrons, billowing laughter and an energetic melody from musical instruments filled the inn's atmosphere. More tables, most of which full, were placed over the main floor to accommodate the increase in the town's population which spiked shortly after the civil war and the World Eater crisis.

Janus and Serana each took a seat by the main bar and they were greeted by a young woman wearing a plain, brown dress and a white apron.

Her long, blonde hair was tied up in a single braid that rested on the right side of her chest. She had just returned to the counter with a small tray in hand; the inn was rather lively this night yet despite the loud noises and rowdy customers, the young lass still wore a vibrant smile on her face. She set the tray aside, wiped her hands and faced her two new customers.

"Hi there! What can I get yo-" The barmaid's cheery voice suddenly slumped when she made eye contact with Serana. The vampire faced the floor and tugged at her hood to cover her face.

"Don't worry, she won't bite." Janus pulled off his own hood and gave the young woman a warm smile; warm enough to make her blush as she admired his chiseled facial features. Serana took a peek at the young woman's almost dumbfounded expression and she smiled.

"O-oo-oh, alright then! I'm sorry, let me try that again." The young woman stuttered. She fixed her posture and wiped the grin off her face.

"Hi! I'm Anya and welcome to the Braidwood Inn! We're uh, about to close the bar soon but we still have some drinks available! What can I get you?" In a flash, Anya's exuberance came rushing back as if she never felt threatened by the vampire sitting in front of her.

Serana stared at Anya, as if trying to figure something out. The young woman looked like she had just exited her teenage years. Her skin was smooth, pale and was blemish-free. Her smile emphasized her rosy cheeks and hope filled her beautiful, blue eyes. Serana was almost jealous of how attractive the young barmaid was but she felt an unnatural urge to protect her from all harm.

"A tankard of Honningbrew Mead for me please and…" Janus said as he looked over to Serana who seemed to be lost in thought. He tapped her arm, pulling her out of her trance.

"Oh, sorry, I'll have uh...whatever he's having." Serana sputtered out. She wasn't exactly paying attention to what was going on. There was a sinking feeling in her chest that she can't seem to explain.

"Alright! Coming right up!" Anya hummed joyfully as she approached one of the kegs behind the counter. The noise behind them was already starting to die down as several patrons started going back to their homes or the rented rooms in the inn itself. The barmaid came back with two bottles of Honningbrew mead in her hands shortly after.

"Sorry, the kegs have already been emptied but we still have a few bottles left." She told the two before placing the bottles of mead on the countertop.

"That's fine." Janus nodded. He removed the caps off of each bottle and handed Serana hers. They both took a swig of their drink like it was a coordinated routine. Anya smiled at the two as she watched them simultaneously slam their bottles on the counter.

"So, Anya, have you heard any news of a nearby village getting attacked?" Serana asked, her hand still holding the cold bottle resting on the table.

"Village? What village?" She had a confused look on her face.

"We heard some news from a hunter who was passing through this area. He said something about a village near the river?" Serana continued.

"Oh, that! It's not a village, it's a mining camp!" Anya replied.

"A mining camp, huh?" Janus uttered before taking another swig of mead. "The hunter said the place was empty and that there were signs of an attack. Are any of those true?"

"I suppose so. I overheard the Jarl's men talk about it earlier today. The entire camp was empty, they said." Anya sat on one of the bar stools behind the counter and continued. "Also, they said the miners there came from the northern parts of Cyrodiil and they brought their families with them since it was going to be a long project. The camp they set-up there was officially sponsored by the government itself, which is why their accommodations are as big as they are."

"Has the Jarl said anything about this? Any official statements?" Janus asked. Serana was listening intently while drinking.

"No, not really. Most of what I know about the place came from guardsmen who seems to have checked the area out. If you really want to know more, I suggest you go there yourselves. It's down the north road, just follow the river."

"Okay, then. Thanks for the tip."

"Happy to help! Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Yeah. Where's Iddra? Isn't she usually the one who looks after this place?" Janus relaxed, wanting to savor some more conversation before venturing out into the woods again.

"She's gone to visit some of our relatives in Bruma and she'll be staying with them for a while. I'm her niece, it's nice to meet you Mister…" She held out her hand before trailing off.

"Janus Brightheart, at your service." He reached out and shook her hand, which he noticed has gone limp.

"Ja-wait, Janus Brightheart? You're _the _Janus Brightheart? The last dragonborn?!" Anya's eyes flared up and her face exploded with excitement. Meanwhile, Serana chugged the rest of her mead.

"The one and only." He flashed her another smile.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm speaking to a legend! All sorts of people in Bruma have been talking about how you saved the world from Alduin! A god!" Janus replied with a nervous chuckle, mildly flattered knowing that his exploits have been reaching as far as it did. He finished up the rest of his mead and reached for his coin purse. Serana, on the other hand, was lost in thought.

"You know what? Keep your money. This round is on me, as a thank you for what you've done!" Anya gestured for Janus to stop while giving them a big smile.

"That's kind of you, Anya, thanks." Serana stood up from her seat and immediately headed for the door. Both Anya and Janus watched her as she walked away.

"Looks like it's time we got going. Thank you for the drink and the information, lass"

"I'm glad to be of service, dragonborn! Take care!"

With that, Janus picked up his baggage and jogged after Serana who was waiting by the base of the stairs leading back to the street.

"Well, wasn't she a ray of sunshine?" She commented, referring to Anya.

"She seems a little...energetic, yes. Just about what you'd expect from a young woman." Janus replied. He unhitched his horse from the post and lead it by the reins; they were to continue the rest of the way on foot so as not to overburden the animal. The pair headed down the road and towards the river where the mining camp was located.

"A bit naive, don't you think? She could get into a lot of trouble with how easily she trusts strangers."

"What's with the sudden interest?" Janus raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know. I'm just concerned, I guess? It looks like this place is getting a lot of visitors of the gruff and aggressive type." She remembered the patrons at the inn. Most of the men there were certainly the big and burly type; not exactly the kind of people you expect to be behaved when drunk, especially not around a pretty lady like Anya. "I don't normally care what happens to people but I'm thinking it's about time that I did."

Janus smiled. "Well, isn't that nice then? Am I starting to rub off on you?"

"Pshh. I have a heart too, you know? I just...never saw the point in worrying about strangers before I started traveling with you."

"So I _am_ rubbing off on you, then?" He asked jokingly.

"Yes, you are." She gave him a smile that made his heart melt. The evening breeze was getting stronger but it didn't matter; suddenly, he wasn't cold anymore. Janus nodded at her, trying to make sure he wasn't grinning like an idiot.

"That's great to hear." They were getting closer and closer to the mining camp. The sound of their feet and the horse's hooves stepping on the cobblestone road was accompanied by the rushing water of the nearby river. The scenery was beautiful as always.

"You know, we should go camping sometimes. If you take out the monsters and the highwaymen, Skyrim isn't that bad." Janus said, causing the vampire to perk up.

"So long as it's just the two of us."

"Just the two of us."

Serana felt a warm sensation all over her body. She chuckled to herself, noting how Janus had just asked her out.

"Sure. I'd love to-"

Serana felt a sharp pain shoot through her temples, cutting her off mid-sentence. She stopped in her tracks and groaned in pain as she put both of her hands on the sides of her head.

"Serana? What's happening?!" Janus said. Behind him, his horse was starting to grow restless as if it had just seen a predator.

The pain only got worse. Serana fell on her knees and started to curl up. She could hear a myriad of voices whispering inside her head; too many to actually understand what they were saying but one thing was for sure: the voices were angry. The veins on her hands were starting to pulsate while those on her neck started to darken again.

Dumbfounded, Janus simply watched as the vampire writhed in pain while millions of thoughts ran through his head. He snapped himself back into reality and crouched down so he could hold Serana's shoulders. He noticed the changes that were rapidly transforming Serana's appearance back into what it was just a few hours ago. She started to look like as if she's been blood-starved for months.

Serana felt the strange, violent sensation subside as she let herself fall into Janus' chest, gasping for air. Again, Janus held her in his arms as she tried to catch her breath.

"What...what the _fuck_ was that.." Serana said in between heavy breaths. Janus lifted her chin up, aligning her face with his. He noticed a faint hue of yellow splashed across Serana's eyes before they quickly reverted back to their original color. Her appearance had returned to normal as well.

The mining camp wasn't far away. The light of the full moon reflected on the crystal clear water of the river beside them and as Janus heard the wind howling across the valley, so too did he hear the howling of wolves far off in the distance.

The night is young, and the carnage is just about to begin.

* * *

**SO. Sorry for the long delay. I've been dealing with some personal stuff lately and I haven't really gotten to finishing this chapter up. Also, ****the entirety of the events I had planned for this chapter ended up being too long (longer than the rest of the other chapters _combined_) so I gotta break it up into two so y'all don't get overwhelmed by a wall of text. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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